ZAMBOANGA CITY–Modern taxi units hit the city streets on Tuesday following a ceremonial launching led by Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar a day earlier.
Jerson Monteverde, Asia’s Latin City Transport Services Cooperative chairperson, said at least 13 initial units of taxicab are now plying around the city.
Before the cooperative’s entry into the local transport scene, Zamboanga City was the only highly urbanized city without taxicabs and is dependent on tricycles and public utility jeepneys.
Monteverde said all taxi units are brand new and equipped with Uber apps, adding their drivers have also been trained on personal hygiene.
The flag down rate is PHP40 with additional PHP13.50 for the first kilometer and PHP2 per minute thereafter.
Engr. Emmanuel Vertucio, chairperson of the Office of Transportation Cooperatives under the Department of Transportation (DOTr), said the entry of the taxicabs is a testament to the continued progress and development of the city.
Vertucio and Eduardo Montealto, Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) regional director, also graced the launching of the taxi operation on Monday.
In 2000, Monteverde’s group tried to operate taxicabs here but only for a brief period after losing their franchise for failure to update their outmoded fleet.
Monteverde said that with their brand-new taxicabs, the cooperative aims to provide safe, reliable, affordable and environment-friendly public transportation to the public. (Teofilo Garcia, Jr/PNA)
