Commuters can expect an additional increase in fare soon, as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board yesterday said it will grant the demand of drivers to increase the minimum fare before the month ends.
LTFRB-7 Regional Director Romulo Bernardes yesterday said LTFRB Chairman Thompson Lantion had assured the drivers that petitions for fare increase would be granted within the month.
If the demand would be finally granted, commuters here would be paying P1.50 more of the current P7 minimum fare.
Lantion is expected to meet with the National Economic and Development Authority board today to present the fare increase requests. The increases would include the petitions for jeepney, taxi and buses fares filed in Manila.
In Region VII, however, only public utility jeepneys petitioned for a fare hike.
The City Integrated Transport Services Multipurpose Cooperative first filed a petition seeking for a P1.50 increase, which was later amended to P2.50 alongside the drastic increase in the price of fuel.
The Nagkahiusang Drivers sa Sugbo, meanwhile, called for a uniform implementation of a minimum fare across the country.
Pending resolution of CITRASCO’s petition, LTFRB approved two provisional increases of P.50 each, which turned to P7 the minimum fare in Region.
Ryan Benjamin Yu of CITRASCO said no further amendments would be made on the petition for the original P2.50 increase, as the same would trigger possible delays. He said demanding beyond P2.50 would also be unfair to commuters and other players.
“We also don’t want to increase the fare too high amidst the spiraling oil and commodities price because we believe that it would create a chain of reaction which in the end, we would be the most affected,” Yu said.
Yu, nevertheless, said they would not hesitate to mount a strike- either independently or with Nadsu- should the government refuse to act on the “promised” support or assistance for the drivers.
The drivers are expecting for government to fully implement the promised assistance for fuel and rice subsidies and modernization program for public utility vehicles.
CITRASCO President Clifford Niñal said the Presidential Management Staff last month expressed support of their proposal for government to help them implement a livelihood program for the wives of drivers. CITRASCO had proposed to open a sewing business for 50 identified housewives of legitimate drivers.
If the project would be successful, the project would be expanded to cater to more beneficiaries, Niñal said.
CITRASCO has asked the PMS to help them come up with the more than P700,000 needed to pay for sewing trainings, equipment and construction or renovation of the possible venue for the project. — Ferliza C. Contratista and Jessica Ann L. Pareja/JMO