EIGHTEEN taxi drivers and two habal-habal drivers were apprehended Wednesday night, in an intensified operation against colorum public utility vehicles (PUVs) and picky cab drivers who refuse to convey passengers if they don't agree to their payment demand.

Land Transportation Office Chief Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II personally led the operation at the SM City North EDSA in Quezon City 20 December in a bid to send a strong message to erring PUV drivers and operators of the government's aggressive crackdown against them.

"Hindi na uubra ngayon ang maling kalakaran na mamimili kayo ng pasahero at tatagain nyo pa sa bayad. At lalong hindi puwede na wala kayong prangkisa pero ibi-byahe ninyo ang mga sasakyan ninyo,"Mendoza said in an interview after the operation.

"I expect all Regional Directors heads and our Law Enforcement Service teams to intensify the campaign for the rest of the Holiday season dahil hindi titino ang mga ito, hindi susunod sa batas ang mga ito hanggang hindi nasasampolan," he added.

During the operation, some of the taxi drivers cited some excuses to be spared from apprehension but Mendoza emphasized that there is no excuse for violating the law because those who would be affected are law-abiding taxi drivers and passengers who just want to go home early and comfortable, especially if they are with their families.

Of those apprehended, two of the taxi drivers failed to present a valid franchise to operate while the nine others were caught in the act of refusing to convey passengers.

Citing complaints of passengers, Mendoza said that some taxi drivers would even refuse to convey families with babies, and small children to board their taxi, despite weather conditions, unless they would agree to the price set by the driver.

"Matagal na nating naririnig ang mga reklamong ito at tayo mismo ay naging biktima ng ganitong klaseng kalakaran. Kaya sinabi ko sa sarili ko na mabigyan lang ako ng pagkakataon ay talagang pagtutuunan ko ito ng pansin," Mendoza said.

"And as the LTO Chief now, I assure our commuters that under the support and guidance of our Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, I will do everything in my power to run after these erring people," Mendoza said.

The SM City North EDSA operation was part of the "Oplan Pasaway" wherein all LTO Regional Directors and District Office heads were instructed to run after colorum PUVs and picky taxi drivers in anticipation of influx of passengers for the holiday season.

Mendoza, however, appealed to the public to cooperate in this campaign by informing the LTO if they witnessed or became victims of picky taxi drivers.

"Kung hindi natin ito pagtutulungan, lalo lang lalakas ang loob ng mga ito na ituloy ang kanilang mga gawain kaya sana ay magsama-sama tayo sa kampanyang ito," Mendoza said.