Regular White Taxis Not Allowed in NAIA Terminal 1

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced that regular white taxi at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 are not allowed to pick passengers due to reports of passenger abuse by its drivers.

According to MIAA’s data, there are already 56 cases of passenger abuse reported from January to April 2019. The number of incidents reached 301 in 2018.

“We decided to revoke (permit from) the white taxi. Kasi nakiusap na ako sa kanila noon sa pang-aapi ng mga pasahero (Because I already discussed with them before about passenger abuse),” said MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal.

The “white taxi ban” was implemented on Monday, May 6, and so far, no complaints have been filed with the MIAA during its enforcement.

The MIAA also revealed that it is planning to enforce the same rule in Terminals 2 and 4 if they are successful with its two-week trial implementation in Terminal 1.

MIAA also clarified that it implemented the rule even before a video of two Austrian vloggers being threatened by a taxi driver became viral online.

Their video, which was uploaded on May 6, showed the two vloggers ride a white taxi at NAIA Terminal 1. Later on, the taxi driver started insisting that they add more to their taxi fare due to the heavy baggage they were carrying.

This caused them to doubt the driver, especially since both are already familiar with the taxi fare charges in the location.

When they refused to add more to the fare, the two were asked to get off under the Skyway and forced to hand over a cellphone when he noticed he was being recorded. The incident took a turn for the worse when the driver even threatened to hurt one of the vloggers named Mike.

Still, the two vloggers warned the public not to think of all taxi drivers as unscrupulous, since they generally have had good experiences with them in the Philippines.