LTFRB reimposes twice-a-year taxi meter resealing, testing

The Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFB) will reimpose the twice-a-year resealing and inspection of taxi meters nationwide.

LTFRB chairman Alberto Suansing said they will start reimplementing memorandum circular 2008-020 dated Nov. 3 last year, which orders the resealing and inspection of taxi cab meters.

The memo amended the previous circular, issued during the time of former LTFRB chairman Thompson Lantion, which only required a once-a-year testing and resealing of tax meters.

Under the new memorandum, taxis with license plates ending in 1 and 6 will be required to reseal and undergo inspection in January and June, 2 and 7 in February and July, 3 and 8 in March and August, 4 and 9 in April and September, and 5 and 0 in May and October.

In a statement, the LTFRB decided to revert to the twice-a-year inspection and resealing of taxi meters “because of taxi riders' increasing complaints of many fast and defective meters.”

Non-complying operators will be slapped with a P125 fine per month per unit for a day's delay.

The taxis should be submitted for resealing and testing at LTFRB's Inspection and Resealing Section, Central Terminal, EDSA near Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Taxi drivers who will be apprehended will get a P6,000 for the first offense, suspension of franchise on the second infraction and cancellation of the franchise on the third violation.

- By Dennis Carcamo
(Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)