LTO cracks down on abusive drivers at NAIA

A routine trip home from the country’s main airport turned costly for several unsuspecting passengers, but the government is determined to put a stop to the overcharging that has long tainted the reputation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

On Sunday, the Land Transportation Office confirmed that it has suspended the licenses of 10 drivers operating taxis and Transportation Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) for taking advantage of passengers through exorbitant fares and illegal contracting. These drivers were caught during a surprise operation at NAIA on 25 June.

LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, said show cause orders have already been served, informing the drivers of their 90-day license suspension.

“We already informed these drivers of the suspension of their licenses for 90 days through the SCOs that we issued them. In other words, wala silang trabaho during that period, at ito ay dahil sa pananamantala sa ating mga kababayang commuter,” Mendoza said.

The sting operation is part of the agency’s intensified effort to clean up operations at NAIA, which has gained notoriety over the years for incidents of fare abuse targeting both locals and tourists. Mendoza stressed that keeping the airport a “discipline zone” is a top priority.

“Our operations in all NAIA terminals will continue because we want our country’s main gateway to be a discipline zone,” he added.

Reports of outrageous fare charges sparked public outrage, including one passenger who was asked to pay P1,300 for a short ride between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Another was billed over P5,000 for a trip from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. The problem has spread beyond taxis, with a motorcycle taxi rider now under investigation for charging P2,000 for a ride from NAIA to Cainta, Rizal.

To curb these abuses, Mendoza has directed regular deployment of LTO enforcement teams across all NAIA terminals. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon has also issued repeated warnings to public utility drivers, reminding them of the consequences of taking advantage of passengers.

“Hindi tayo papayag sa mga ganitong klaseng pang-aabuso. Kung kayang gawin ito sa mga kababayan natin, what more sa mga dayuhan na turista. Makakasama ito sa imahe ng ating bansa,” Mendoza said.

All the apprehended drivers face the charge of being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle, a violation that carries the maximum penalty of license revocation.