Airport Taxi Scams: Beware Fraud from Cabs especially at NAIA
In 2011, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals carried over 29 million passengers, making it among the top 50 busiest airports in the world.
When in Manila and taking a cab from the airport, it’s better to be alert to taxi scams.
Apparently, there is a taxi scam going on right before the noses of airport officials (if they’re not in on it themselves; if not, they need to sharpen their powers of observation.)
Here’s my story. Last month, I went on a trip to Brunei and Sabah. My flight was at 11:40 in the evening. That day, I was rushing to finish as much work as possible before my leave and, consequently, my mind was almost numb from tiredness.
On the way to the airport on a cab, I wasn’t paying attention. I got off without checking if the taxi took me to the right terminal. I’m afraid it did when I realized I was at Terminal 2 instead of Terminal 3 where the Cebu Pacific planes were.
I looked around and saw that taxis were dropping off passengers so I figured it shouldn’t be too hard getting a metered taxi to take me to Terminal 3.
One airport personnel, not a guard, called my attention to a white taxi parked nearby and told me it was a metered taxi. I got in. I checked the meter and saw it looked different—it did not show any amount just distance in kilometres. I asked the cab driver how it worked and he explained that their cab rates were in dollars, even showing me a signboard with dollar rates on it.
I realized that I would end up paying over a thousand pesos for a trip from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 (which took less than 15 minutes actually as the traffic then was very light)!
Outraged, I told him the rates were ridiculous and that this looked like a scam. He explained that the rates were official rates and were structured for foreign tourists. I said, who was he kidding and there was no way I would accept those rates.
For the reader’s information, yellow Manila airport cabs have a flag down rate of PHP 70 for the first couple of kilometres and PHP 2.50 per 500 meters.
When at the Manila airport choose the yellow metered airport taxis. They are reliable in my experience.
The cab driver, sounding very amiable, just went on explaining and gave the impression that I was making a fuss about nothing and that he was being generous to me by switching off the meter so I will not pay the entire amount. Eventually, I agreed to pay PHP 400… In hindsight, I knew I still paid an unreasonable amount as yellow airport taxi rates normally don’t go higher than PHP 200 for a trip between airport terminals.
But I was in a hurry already, as I had only two hours left before my flight. I needed to get out of the taxi. So I went on my trip, had a great time, and almost forgot the incident.
When I got back I read a Facebook post by a colleague who experienced the same taxi scam at the NAIA Terminals 2 and 3. I’m reposting his story here.
Con Gasmen
August 27 at 10:17pm near Manila ·
· BEWARE OF MANDURUGAS NA TAXI DRIVERS SA NAIA. once is enough, but twice is too much nga naman talaga. i went to T2 last week to pick up my friend who came from vietnam. pumara kami ng taxi. friendly yung driver at nakikipagbiruan. after 5mins napansin ko na hindi sya nakametro. tinanong ko kung bakit walang metro tapos inabot nya agad yung laminated paper na may pricelist. papunta kaming MOA para mag dinner sana. nakita ko yung pasay rate $38 tapos basic pay sa driver $20 kaya ang total ng kaylangan kong ibigay ay $58! isang malaking kalokohan. sabi ko sa driver itabi ang taxi at bababa nalang kami kasi wala kaming ganung halaga at nagsundo lang naman kami. dapat daw ready kami kasi may kasama kaming foreigner, pero hindi yun rason para magbayad kami ng ganun. nakipagtalo ako sa driver hanggang sa sinabi ko na ibaba nalang kami at bibigyan ko sya ng P200. nakaka init ng ulo pero pinalipas ko kasi nakakahiya naman sa bisita ko. after 1 week, bumalik kami sa NAIA pero T3 naman this time. hinatid namin yung kaibigan ko sa airport. pag uwi namin ng kasama ko, pumara kami ng taxi, sabi namin glorietta, makati lang. pag sakay namin kinakausap kami ng kinakausap, tapos nakita kong nakatakip ng sumbrero yung metro. kinutuban ako, gang sa inabutan nanaman ako nung laminated paper na may pricelist. napailing ako at sinabi ko sa driver na ito nanaman! last week ganito rin! ano bang akala nyo sakin? mayaman?! glorietta lang ang pupuntahan ko tapos libo ang babayaran ko? sa isip ko, baguio ba ang punta ko?! sinabihan ko yung driver na itabi ang taxi at bababa nalang kami pero ayaw nyang itabi, kaylangan ko raw magbayad kahit yung rate lang daw nila ng pasay. nagtaas na ako ng boses at nasigawan ko na sya, sinabihan ko sya na kapag di nya kami ibinaba, tatawagan ko nanay ko na nagtatrabaho para sa gobyerno at may koneksyon sa mga pulis at irereport ko sya. hindi kami ibinaba kaya napilitan na ako tawagan nanay ko. nanginig si kuya nung narinig na nya boses ng nanay ko at nag uusap kami na irereport namin sya sa pulis. papayag na daw sya na P150 ang ibigay ko kumalma lang daw ako. ako pa daw ang matapang at nananakot sabi ng driver. e mas nakakatakot nga yung presyo nya samin. sa gate 1 daw dapat ako pumara ng taxi kasi andun daw yung mga de metro, ako pa ang tinuruan ni kuya e ilang beses na ako pabalik balik dun at sya lang ang natyempohan ko na nandurugas. nagdahilan pa sya na nagtatrabaho lang naman daw sya, e kuya ako rin naman, tinatrabaho ko rin ang perang nakukuha ko pero hindi sa maruming paraan. bago kami bumaba, nakiusap sya na sana tapos na daw ang gulo na nangyari at wag ko na daw sya ireport. malas lang nya kasi hindi ako nag to-tolerate ng mga manlolokong tao. kinuha ko yung plate number, pipicturan ko pa sana yung taxi nya pero nagmadali syang umalis. Just in case na mapapadpad kayo sa airport, kahit anupamang terminal yan, mag-ingat po tayo, kasi nagsikalat na sila, kung sakali man na makasakay kayo sa ganyang taxi e pangunahan nyo sila, takutin nyo, titiklop din naman mga yan sa bandang huli. yun lang 🙂
As you can see, he was very pissed—not just of the hassle but also because of the bad impression our country was giving to his friends visting the country.
Con Gasmen, a multimedia graphic designer with Buyanihan Digital, experienced two taxi scams last month. He said that his friends also reported similar experience not just at the airport but along NAIA road. His friends thought they were getting inside a regular metered taxi to later be informed of the inflated taxi rates.
What about you, do you have a similar experience? Could you share it?
We need to crack down on these scamming taxi drivers and their collaborators at the airport as this gives our country a bad reputation. It also casts in a bad light other taxi drivers who are decent and hard-working. If you encounter something like this, I suggest you either demand to get off or refuse to pay the exorbitant amount. Make sure to snap a picture of the license plate number and ID with your mobile camera and upload a report to https://www.taxikick.com.
I believe these erring taxi drivers will back down as it is in their best interest not to aggravate passengers to the extent that they will actually report the drivers.
When in Manila, we can meet so many wonderful people and enjoy so many great experiences. We just have to be extra alert to a few rotten apples.
License plate number of the taxi who tried to charge him over a thousand pesos – UVR 789.
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I am in manila and was just charged 2400 for a ride to makati from the airport. I even went to the cops to ask if the price was fair and they stared silently, and directed back to the uniformed credentialed taxi agents. I should have gone upstairs to catch the yellow cabs. While riding with the cabbie I complained and told him I know I was ripped off by the taxi agent. I paid before getting into the cab. I made a mistake riding the white cabs. This is why the philipines will remain poor and I will never visit again. They have to fix the corrupt taxi agents and cops that allow and encourage it.
I had this same experience twice s NAIA 3! Inaabot nila yumg laminated paper. Pero in my case pinababa ako at d ako ngbayad..Inabot nila pgkababa dun malapit s may resorts world. At sinabi na pwde naman ako bumaba if ayaw ko mgbayad. But still super hassle. Haay kaloka na mga taxi drivers d2!!!
I have the same experience!
Here is my story
“I rode this taxi at NAIA Terminal 2 May 21 3:50AM. UVK-816 SUNSHINE Taxi, color white. The taxi looks like a regular metered taxi but when I got inside the driver drove so fast and we got down to naia road he showed a FLAT RATE price list. To my shock the prices were so outrageous, to pasig city it was $35.
I demanded to go down, but the driver was driving so fast we got to lawton ave after resorts world. I demanded not to pay but due to that I was very tired in the end I payed the OUTRAGEOUS $25 minimum fee.
I got the receipt and its handled by AIR ADDS TRANSPORT SERVICES. Please help me as I felt I got robbed by 1k. The driver’s name based on the text is Mr.M Frankic.
I was suppose to get help to other taxi drivers nearby but the driver drove so fast escaping before I could say anything to the other drivers.
The rates are 2x more than the regular FIXED rate taxi in the Terminal, its just that I was fooled by these opportunist.
I called the NAIA 2 Airport police to no success the phone was either just ringing or the one that answers are from the CANTEEN! Eventually I was ignored and in the end, I’ll just be more careful to ride Airport taxis next time “
Hi Vince! I also experienced the same thing. Fu**** dude was asking 1800 pesos from the airport to manila and he claims that they are accredited by the DOTC.. Told him it was a scam and asked him to drop me off.. He parked by the rotonda near the airport but the door would not open.. since i was in a hurry and fearing he might have something ready to hurt me, I stopped the urge to actually fight the guy and gave him some money instead..though he was also in a hurry and did not even count the money i gave him.. got a picture and plate number of the taxi though.. Plate number is UVA 622.. Reported the incident to the police near the airport and the Pasay traffic officers nearby.. Also reported the same thing to the airport police..
This might be the fixed rate coupon taxis in NAIA. They are usually white cars that are parked near the terminals. And they are overly priced unfortunately 🙁
The fixed rate taxis will give you a coupon or something even before you get inside the car. I believe those ordinary taxi just copied the rates of these metered taxis.