Filipino Taxi Drivers Should Have Fixed Salary?
Taxi operators may also be asked to hire drivers as regular employees who get monthly pay, instead of having them work 24-hour shifts just to make enough for the car’s rent, a transport official said.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier issued a memorandum circular ordering bus companies and operators to grant salaries and benefits to their drivers, effective Jan. 16.
The LTFRB is also reviewing the compensation scheme for taxi drivers, LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway said.
Iway said the number one problem in taxi operations is that owners use a boundary system, where drivers work 24 hours straight to make the rent, pegged at P1,000 or more per day.
Iway said the board has received reports some taxi drivers take illegal drugs to stay awake longer and work more hours.
He said consultations in Metro Manila showed most taxi drivers want a monthly salary.
Iway said that under the present system, the taxi drivers end up with nothing if they don’t drive enough passengers to meet the boundary or daily rental.
In Metro Manila, the minimum wage is P389 to P426 per day. It is P305 in Metro Cebu, as ordered last year by the regional wage board.
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