DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Davao City mayor, Sara Duterte, proudly posted in her Facebook account the existence of high-tech cabs in her locality. Starting Friday, July 6th, Black Mabuhay Taxi will be deploying select cabs that accept payments via debit cards connected with Megalink and Bancnet. This technology may not be new for Filipinos as many countries in Asia are already using it, Mayor Duterte couldn’t just hide the excitement having her city as the first ever to sport such technology in the country.

Initially, 20 cabs will be deployed to accept payments from debit cards but the operator is planning to add more units in the following weeks or months. Mabuhay Taxi owns over 200 units of cabs that operate within Davao City. Having majority of its units able to accept “swipe-to-pay” method is the operator’s main concern. The city accepts thousands, if not millions, of tourists each year and majority of those want to pay every transaction through debit or credit cards.

As one of the oldest cab operators in Davao City, Mabuhay Taxi has established better and more effective dispatching technology over time. In fact, it’s the only operator in Mindanao and Visayas regions that makes use of the global positioning system (GPS) technology. The dispatching of its units is also automated and done by the computer. Thus, passengers who call in to its hotline for cab service will be provided by a unit almost immediately. A vacant unit closest to the location of the passenger will be dispatch to provide better service as fast as possible.

Apparently, Mabuhay Taxi is way ahead of other operators that use two-way radio for communication. This and the electronic payment method are among the most notable developments in the cab market in Davao City. But aside from the high-tech services, the operator also assures passengers that its drivers are also well-equipped with manners and common know-how of the ins and outs of the place.

We asked four people who have previous experiences with Mabuhay Taxi cabs; all of them said positive feedback about the service. One stressed on how respectful driver was by addressing her “maam” and bringing her to the destination safely. The other three said that Mabuhay Taxi cabs are just like any other taxi in Davao City only that their air-conditioners work perfectly without any foul odor inside.

A representative of the operator said that they are putting much weight on providing better services to their clients. Evidently, Mabuhay Taxi is the only operator in Davao City with exclusive taxi stand in SM City Davao while being the exclusive cab service provider of Grand Regal Hotel and Marco Polo Davao Hotel. Above all, the operator charges the same rate as with other operators in the city.

One of the advantages of cabs capable of accepting electronic payment methods is safety. Bringing huge amount of cash in an unfamiliar place would be too risky for everyone; this is where credit and debit cards come in handy. Davao City is among the places in the Philippines with lowest crime rate and is known for having welcoming and respectful people.

Do you have experience with Mabuhay Taxi cabs? Please share them for other to know.

[Reference: Sara Duterte FB]