Authorities apprehended and revoked the driver’s license of the taxi driver who scammed two Austrian travel vloggers when they hailed a ride from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) caught Jhumil Bule with the help of police officers from Taytay, Rizal following the video released by vloggers Mike and Nelly of “Making It Happen.”
BACKSTORY: Traveling from NAIA, Austrian vloggers document taxi scam in Manila
MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal asked the police officers to surrender Bule’s driver’s license to the Land Transportation Office for its revocation.
Monreal also ordered the entire taxi fleet of Davis Taxi to be banned from all NAIA terminals following the incident.
The incident also prompted him to temporarily ban all white taxis at NAIA Terminal 1 for two weeks. Travelers can instead hail yellow or coupon taxis, airport buses or ride-sharing services like Grab.
“Beginning last Monday, May 6, we have removed the white taxi queuing lane in NAIA Terminal 1 as a prelude to eventually putting an end to the privilege given to them to line up and pick up passengers in the four (4) Terminals,” Monreal said in a statement.
“Pag po tumuloy-tuloy, isusunod ko po iyung terminal 2 and terminal 4,” he added in another interview.
The airport chief said that the rule extends to MIAA-accredited transport services as well.
“This campaign against abusive taxi drivers also extends to the drivers of MIAA accredited transport services. No one is exempted here,” Monreal said.
He also asked all NAIA-accredited transport companies and TNVS operator Grab to always ensure the availability of their vehicles for airport passengers, particularly during peak or rush hours
The ordeal
Austrian travel vloggers Mike and Nelly have been going back and forth to the Philippines for two years but it was the first time last week that they have been scammed.
The couple arrived in NAIA following their travel to Japan and they decided to hail a taxi since all of the Grab drivers were busy at that time.
When they hailed Bule, the latter asked for an “extra fee” for their luggage, majority of which Mike himself had carried.
Bule also refused to adhere to the taxi meter and told them to pay a “flat charge rate” instead.
Taxi drivers are only supposed to charge fees based on the taxi meter, which has been calibrated and sealed by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The couple also reported that Bule had threatened to leave them in “the middle of the Skyway” if they refuse to pay him the amount he has asked for.
He also took a different route and dropped them off “in a very strange location.”
“Filipinos are the kindest, friendliest people that we’ve ever met and this is the first in two years traveling to the Philippines that we’ve had a bad experience and I’m still shocked,” Mike said in their video.
