Please Fasten Your Seatbelt

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I'm a regular taxi customer. I ride a taxi everyday. I've been doing that for the past 8 years, eversince my son started going to school.

The lack of seatbelts on the backseat of taxi cabs in Manila really bothers me. Some have seatbelts but the locks are incognito. I've asked a number of drivers about this problem and they themselves can't give me a clear enough answer. Even new taxis don't have seatbelts. Do the owners purposely remove it, the seatbelts and locks, or do they get manufactured like that?

I did ride a few that has one. But with less than 10 taxis that has, in proportion with the hundreds that I've used in 8 years? That is a bothersome number, right? Manila taxi drivers are even famous for their reckless driving. I worry a lot when my son is with me. Some taxis even smell of cigars, which in itself is worthy of a separate complaint post.

I don't remember if cabs in the US, or in other countries, have seatbelts. Drivers there don't drive as recklessly. That may be the reason why I didn’t notice if there were seatbelts or not. 

Our law makers should look into this because this is as risky as riding a motorcycle without wearing a helmet.

a taxi is not a race car

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I ride a taxi everyday, 7 days a week, except for days when I don't have to go out of the house. Have you ever been on a taxi in Manila? Have you noticed that most taxi drivers here drive like madmen? I doubt if their breaks even work well. I have a valid excuse for doubting, most taxi's look so old and rusty.

                                                                     survivingmanila-wordpress

I have been in heated arguements with Manila taxi drivers. Guess what they do when asked to slow down and not overtake other cars. They reply, "I'm not driving fast" and drive even more fast! There was a time when I called a taxi company to complain about their driver. Nothing happened, the driver is still speeding on the streets of Manila up to now.

These taxi drivers are not at all concerned if they cause risk to themselves, their passengers and people on the street. They speed up, beat the red light and they don't follow traffic rules. They won't get fined or locked in prison anyway. The government should do something about this problem.

your right is my left??

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Most taxi drivers here in Metro Manila does not know kanan (right) and kaliwa (left). Whoever is giving taxi franchise to these drivers (LTFRB??), please also check if they know which way to go if their passenger asks them to turn right or left. This can cause accidents on the road.

taxi accident

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We got into an accident in Buendia Avenue this morning on our way to my parents house. I was with my son, my sister and niece. No cuts or bruises; no cursing, shouting or scared gasps either... but still it was an accident.

The taxi that we were riding on was not even fast. The driver saw the red light ahead, he stepped on the break...but it didn't stop until we hit the car in front of us. The driver doesn't want to admit it but I am pretty sure there was a problem with his break.

I did pay for our fare but the taxi driver didn't even help us look for another taxi. He even made us wait for 20 minutes inside the taxi. We can't get out since we were parked in the middle of the street. Me and my sister doesn't want to risk being hit by a bus while crossing the street.

I can't count the number of times that I almost got into an accident at the hands of reckless taxi drivers here in our country. Everytime I step inside a taxi, my heart always stops beating. They drive very fast and they are not even scared to overtake big buses (that are equally driving like crazy).

"Manong, dahan dahan lang po, hindi kami nagmamadali" (Please don't drive so fast, we are not in a hurry). "Hindi naman mabilis a!" (It's not that fast!) And he drives even faster. If my son is not with me, I would have gotten out of that taxi. But I can't just get out anywhere, anytime...my son is asthmatic and I don't want him to inhale all the pollution.

These taxis doesn't even have seatbelts. I don't understand why they have to take out the seatbelts. I don't think they bought a car that doesn't have seatbelts. Car manufacturers strictly follow certain standards, right.

I hope problems with taxis (as well as with buses) here in our country be resolved already. The senate and congress should prioritize these things instead of the Katrina-Hayden video scandal, right?!