Taxi with fake numbers monitored

CEBU, Philippines – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is monitoring a taxi nit that allegedly operates using a fake and unregistered sequence numbers. 

LTFRB Regional Director Romulo Bernardez said there are two taxis that reporedly share the same sequence numbers, which is not possible, as a taxi unit is given a distinct set of sequence numbers.

Looking into their files confirmed that one of the two is using a fake set of sequence numbers, he said

Bernardez said LTFRB issued sequence numbers only up to 5000 but the fake set of sequence numbers being used reportedly reached 7000.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with the Cebu Provincial Bus Operators

Association Inc. yesterday, Bernardez proposed that the letter “N” be placed at the beginning of the sequence numbers of buses traveling north while sequence numbers of buses traveling south will bear the letter “S”.

Bernardez said that by doing so, both the public and law enforcers would easily distinguish the buses and ensure that they are traveling their allowed route.

For their part, the bus operators asked that LTFRB provide the material to prove that the sequence numbers on a vehicle indeed come from LTFRB.

Bernadez, however, said LTFRB cannot grant the request because it would reportedly commercialize the issuance of sequence numbers. Likewise, the responsibility of LTFRB, he said, is only to issue and ensure the validity of the sequence numbers.

Meanwhile, Bernardez said the continuous professional education of drivers is successful because more and more drivers are participating in trainings and seminars on responsible driving. The continuous professional education aims to prevent road accidents and to train drivers to be more courteous to passengers. — AJ de la Torre/JMO (THE FREEMAN)