CITRASCO to operate Driver’s Academy

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO) announced that it will establish a Driver's Academy to promote professionalism among drivers.

The transport group hopes to open this academy before the year ends, said CITRASCO chairman and general manager Ryan Benjamin C. Yu.

CITRASCO, which operates more than 300 taxi units, 1,000 jeepneys, 18 (for hire) vans, and 10 V-Hire units, has seen the importance of teaching drivers good manners and other important concerns.

Yu however, made it clear that the establishment of the academy has nothing to do with the existence of the Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) such as Uber and Grab, as its operations have not affected the taxi transport business.

While CITRASCO is not against the operation of TNVS, Yu maintained its stand that such operation should also be regulated, just like the taxi operation, in order to achieve fair playing field.

Professionalizing the service standard of drivers across commercial transport units is a necessary vehicle to upgrade the service of Cebu's public transport industry.

In the past, the Department of Tourism (DOT-7) trained over 100, specifically those that are servicing the yellow airport taxis.

In tourism, stakeholders have been pushing to promote tourism culture for taxi drivers, as they are the direct front-liners of the tourism industry.

"It’s very important that visitors should be handled carefully, as Cebu is positioning as world-class destination, and international gateway to tourists attractions in the Southern Philippines," said former DTO-7 regional director Patria Aurora Roa, who is also the current tourism consultant for Cebu province tourism.

Few years back, the now defunct Cebu Investments and Promotions Center (CIPC) attempted to inculcate the culture of tourism in Cebu for taxi drivers

Seminars were also conducted for taxi drivers to behave politely and adopt good customer service attitude not only to tourists but to all their passengers. (FREEMAN)