Hearing for another P.50 hike in fare set

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will hold on Friday the hearing of the additional P.50 provisional increase pending the resolution of original petition for minimum fare increase to P8.50.

LTFRB-7 director Romulo Bernardes said that after finding it urgent to impose a fare increase due to the skyrocketing prices of fuel in barely-a-week basis, they scheduled the hearing for another round of 50 centavos provisional increase.

Last May 21, when the price of diesel was around P42, LTFRB granted a P.50 provisional increase on top of the P6 minimum fare.

Now, when the price of diesel is almost P50, Bernardes said, it is but “time to grant another P.50 while the original fare increase petition is pending.”

Bernardes, however said, he is positive that the clamor for fare increases by the transport groups will be neutralized once the national program of High Breed Transport System will also be implemented here in Central Visayas.

During the founding anniversary of the LTFRB yesterday, President Gloria Arroyo announced that operators and jeepney owners can avail themselves of a soft loan without any interest for funds to be used for the conversion of diesel into Liquefied Petroleum Gas-run machines of jeepneys.

“Precisely why the taxi sector is not clamoring for an increase in their rate because most are using LPG which is cheaper than diesel-run taxis,” Bernardes said.

Each driver or operator is allowed to loan P70,000 - the estimated cost of conversion from diesel to LPG, and will only pay around P80 a day in two years time.

The initial plan to give P2 subsidy for every liter of gasoline to drivers, Bernardes said was aborted since it was only for short term or only within three months.

Meanwhile, LTFRB-7 Chief Technical Development officer Douglas Sanson is overseeing the acceptance of pieces of evidence for and against the P8.50 proposed minimum fare until tomorrow, or five working days from the initial consultative public hearing.  — Ferliza C. Contratista/MEEV