In the Philippines and other parts of the world, Christmas is considered to be the most wonderful time of the year. This is true for many Filipino families.
But, this is also true for taxi scammers who are taking advantage of unsuspecting Filipino overseas workers who are just visiting the country for the holidays.
If you're an OFW who's about to arrive in the Philippines or have families and loved ones working as an OFW, here's what you can do to avoid taxi scams at airports.
Philippines: Taxi Scams Getting Rampant on Holidays
One of the main problems of many Filipinos, especially OFWs, is that they are not aware of the latest taxi prices. Some mischievous drivers even try to charge unaware passengers more than the overall costs of their round-trip flights.
Philippine residents are not the only victims of these taxi scammers. They even tend to target tourists who are not really familiar with the taxi fees.
Previously, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board started an investigation on a video showing an airport taxi driver charging two Taiwanese tourists over 10,000 PHP (almost $200) just for a 10-minute ride from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4.
Inquirer.Net reported that a taxi scam happened at NAIA airport. Based on the viral video, the two tourists were given an Airport Accredited Regular Taxi Service Meter rate, which even has the logo of NAIA and the Department of Tourism.
Based on the laminated copy of the alleged meter rate, the prices range between 9,000 PHP and over 11,000 PHP. For example, going from NAIA to Metro Manila costs 9,700 PHP. Another suspicious fee is going to Terminal 1, with a charge of 11,500 PHP.
"We take such matters seriously and are committed to ensuring the integrity and fairness of taxi services," said LTRFB Spokesperson Celine Pialago.
"Our priority is to uphold the standards of service and protect the rights of passengers," she added.
Related Article : [SURVEY] Over 60% of American Companies to Have In-Person Holiday Parties; How Can Introvert Employees Survive?
How To Avoid Taxi Scams at Airports
According to Top Gear, the first thing Filipinos and tourists need to do is know the different types of taxi scams at airports, such as the following:
Tampered Meters: This is one of the most common taxi scams since drivers can easily adjust the price of their meters using mechanical or electronic cheating devices.
Longer Route Scams: Some taxi drivers will purposely take longer routes without turning on their meters so they can charge you whatever they want.
Fixed Rate Scams: Numerous taxi scammers will claim that they don't have a meter because they operate under an official fixed rate, which is not true since taxis are required to have their meters on.
No Meter Scam: Many taxi drivers don't even have meters, claiming that they have been using another car since the holiday season. There are only two reasons for this; they are either pretending to be taxi drivers or they are real taxi drivers who scam people.
Now that you know the most common taxi scams at airports, here are some tips you can rely on to avoid them:
Google Maps: Always use Google Maps or other navigation tools so that you can see the real distance from your pickup point to your destination. These apps will also tell you if the route they are really taking has no traffic or if they're just fooling you.
Smaller Bills: If you only have 1,000 PHP bills, the best thing you can do is have them change into smaller bills since some taxi scammers will reason out having no change for your money, leaving you with no choice but to give a 1,000 PHP bill.
Ride-Hailing Apps: If you want security and safety, the best thing you can do is use ride-hailing apps since drivers working for Grab, Angkas, and other transportation service providers are recorded.
Hotel's Airport Pickup: If the hotel offers airport pickup or transfer services, take advantage of them so you can avoid interacting with possible driver scammers.
