ILOILO City – Taxi passengers here will have to dig deeper into their pockets, as the flag-down rate increases to P65, drawing concerns from commuters already grappling with rising daily expenses.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved the new regular taxi fare, raising the flag-down charge from P50 to P65, or by P15.
Aside from the initial P65 charge, the new fare schedule sets the succeeding rate at P13.50 per kilometer and P2 for every minute of travel time.
Students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will continue to receive the mandatory 20-percent fare discount.
Higher fares for traditional and modernized public utility jeepneys are likewise set to take effect on the same day.
News of the taxi fare adjustment prompted reactions from Iloilo residents on social media, many of whom complained that transportation expenses were increasing while their incomes remained unchanged.
“Everything is going up, but salaries remain the same,” one netizen said in Hiligaynon.
Another asked: “The fare has increased. When will salaries increase?”
Several commenters expressed similar sentiments, saying increases in transportation and other daily expenses were becoming increasingly difficult for workers whose wages had not risen at the same pace.
Others said they might stop taking taxis and instead use ride-hailing or motorcycle services.
“I’ll just take Grab,” one commenter said.
Another observed that taxis were already competing with ride-hailing platforms for passengers and warned that the higher flag-down fare could drive more commuters toward alternative transportation.
Some commenters, however, acknowledged that taxi drivers were also being squeezed by rising operating expenses.
One pointed to the high cost of diesel, saying fuel prices had become increasingly difficult for drivers and operators to absorb. Others said the additional fare could at least provide some relief to drivers dealing with higher fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses.
Another issue raised in the online discussion involved discounts for senior citizens and PWDs.
One commenter claimed that passengers sometimes had to argue with taxi drivers when asking for the legally mandated discount, despite the LTFRB fare notice explicitly stating that students, senior citizens and PWDs are entitled to a 20-percent reduction.
The online reactions do not represent a scientific survey of Iloilo commuters, but common concerns were apparent: transportation costs rising faster than wages, pressure on household budgets, the possibility of passengers shifting to ride-hailing and motorcycle services, and concerns over the proper implementation of statutory discounts.
At the same time, some commenters recognized that drivers face their own financial pressures from fuel and other operating costs.
The new taxi fare schedule took effect Sept. 28./PN
