MANILA, Philippines - Alarmed by the reports of female passengers being victimized by taxi drivers using a sleep inducing spray, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Tuesday announced that it will summon taxi cab operators for a meeting to discuss the matter.
In a statement, LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said, that with the help of the National Capital Region Police Office, the Board will take precautionary measures to address the alarming increase in the number of complaints on taxi drivers drugging female passengers.
Ginez said they have received several reports from NCRPO that a number of taxi drivers are preying on female passengers by using ‘special spray’ that emits toxins that make victims dizzy and numb to rob or molest them.
“Kami po ay naaalarma sa maraming kaso ng pagtatangkang nakawan o kaya ay abusuhin ang mga pasaherong kababaihan ng ilang mga taxi drivers natin kaya naman ang Board ay magsasagawa ng isang special na pagpupulong upang maaksyunan agad ang sitwasyon na ito bago pa may mapahamak na pasahero," Ginez said.
In one report submitted by NCRPO to LTFRB, a complainant narrated her ordeal while inside a taxi cab that almost knocked her unconscious due to the strong smell of gaseous odor sprayed by the taxi driver while on her way to her destination.
She then asked the driver to drop her to the nearest gas station before she totally passed out, sparing her from becoming a prey.
Similar stories were also posted in social networking site Facebook by other would-be-victims of taxi drivers who used a variation of drugging their passengers by placing a ‘wet towel soaked in an unknown chemical solution’ directly to the cab’s aircon device to emit gaseous odor.
Ginez said that the Board will invite taxi cab operators in a public hearing to discuss the situation.
"Ang mga taxi operators na mapapatunayan naming may kinalaman sa modus operandi ng kanilang mga drivers ay papatawan naming ng karampatang parusa or penalty, at maaring alisin or suspendihin ang kanilang mga prangkisa," Ginez said.
Ginez said the Board will revive its ‘Oplan Isnabero’ to randomly penalize drivers who would decline a passenger in boarding their units in anticipation of the forthcoming holiday season.