The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in the city issued a stern warning to tricycle drivers who overcharge passengers telling them to change their ways or the agency will be forced to take action against them.

Engineer James Gantalao, city PPA manager, said that if the agency decides to strictly implement rules and tighten port procedures, they could bar the entry of tricycle drivers in the area.

According to Ganatalo, complaints from boat passengers and PPA employees reached his office notifying him of the excessively high costs of tricycle rides in the area which go beyond the regular fare range in the city.

The PPA office already reminded tricycle drivers in the port area last year not to take advantage of boat passengers particularly tourists.

The agency has been receiving complaints on the issue since last year and the overcharging could taint the entire city’s image, Gantalao said.

There had also been reports on conflicts among tricycle and taxi drivers over who gets to service passengers, he added.

The PPA noted that it intends to maintain orderly operations within the port premises and this can be achieved if tricycle drivers who make a living in the area observe the agency’s rules.

Currently, the entry of tricycle drivers in the port area is conditional and it is within the capacity of the PPA to prohibit them from entering the port area should they continue to overcharge passengers, Gantalao said.