July 4, 2012 when Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte posted this on Facebook:
Mabuhay Taxi, a Davao City based taxi company is now known to have the nation’s most advanced payment system for cab fares when they installed ATM Debit Card terminals in their twenty-five recently launched fleet of unconventionally colored black taxicabs.
Passengers can now have the convenience of cash-less payment of cab fares by simply swiping BANCNET an MegaLink ATM debit cards. This will avoid the usual complaints against taxi drivers that are unable to give the exact change.
The black taxicabs are also safer for passengers and drivers because these are equipped with the latest Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device that will automatically give information on the current location of the unit as well as computer-controlled dispatching system. This innovation provides security because ATM payments would mean the drivers have not as much cash on hand as the common taxi drivers and won’t be prime targets for robbers and hijackers. Passengers need not to worry as this hi-tech transportation system has the same flag down rate. The complaints about over-charging taxi drivers will be monitored as well. Like all bank’s precautions to clients, the security of the PIN of the debit card used will be the card holders responsibility.
I have my own share of bad experiences with arrogant taxi drivers. Once, I rant in this post about how they made me furious and embarrassed of how they took advantage by over-charging the passengers, specially the tourists. I hope the Manila-based taxi companies should adapt this type of innovation since the rude and over-charging taxi drivers in the area are so rampant. Davao City is hoping that this move towards improvement will bring more investors and more tourists to spend their time and appreciate what the city and the neighboring provinces has to offer.
Related articles
- Paying Taxis (in Davao) via Plastic (stimuluscapitalideas.wordpress.com)
- Uniquely Davao: Taxis (karlopuerto.wordpress.com)
NIce! The ability to pay taxi fare by bank card is starting to pop up as well. Not all companies have adopted. I was thrilled when I had this option a few months back and only thought of the convenience… but even better is your point about it stopping thefts. There are many stories in the news here about drivers being beaten, even killed. Awful
It is that or the passengers being robbed by taxi drivers too. Security wise, this system benefits both parties. Like you, I do wish most of the companies will see this as a necessity.
I appreciate the advances, and the way they are used to improve the rides and experience, but I wonder if something is lost when the old ways disappear.
(referring to the old ways of taxi driving).
Let me get back to you on that… I guess I will look forward on my soonest chance to a ride with these kind of taxicabs so I can do a little interview with the drivers. Till then, I can’t really tell if there would be a difference except that it will be convenient both ways!
WOW ate !!! Haneepp and black Taxi huh!
yeah… buti nalang its not tinted… parang kidnapper ang dating! ahahhaha… kidding only!
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Very interesting and a little more advanced then in Sweden – even if our taxis has accepted credit cards for over 20 years. Here they have a little machine in the front -but looking at your photo – it’s secure between the front seats. Also we have an alarm system for the drivers – when in distress or danger they make their taxi sign flash, so anyone can report it. Black taxi we have too .. but that is private cars doing fares and undercutting taxi. Thanks for this .. very interesting read.
Thanks! I guess technology has come up with lots of modern innovations!