Transport sector opposes fare cut

CEBU - The transport sector aired its opposition against the proposed fare reduction during a public hearing held at the regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board yesterday.

Members of the Nagkahiusang Driver sa Sugbo staged a rally outside the LTFRB-7 office to show their stand against the petition filed by former LTFRB-7 Director Manuel Iway seeking for P2 rollback in jeepney fares and scrapping of the P10 add on fare on taxis.

During the hearing, Iway argued that the approval of the increase in taxi fare last July was unnecessary because it was applied in Central Visayas despite the fact that no one filed a petition for increase for the region and no public hearing was conducted.

Iway believed that when the LTFRB Central Office in Manila approved the petition, it was not aware that 92 percent of taxis here are using Liquefied Petroleum Gas which priced lower than other petroleum products such as gasoline.

He explained LPG price only ranges from P29 to P32 per liter while diesel costs around P50 which gives more or less P19 difference. With this, he said taxi drivers are getting enormous savings.

For PUJs, Iway said the price of oil and other petroleum products have rolled back nine times, or as much as P8.50 since August.

He said the reason of the drivers and operators in opposing the fare reduction, which is the high cost of spare parts and materials for maintenance, is unfounded. It was not the basis when the fare increase was granted so drivers and operators should not use it as a counterargument, he added.

Lawyer Glenn Capanas, legal counsel representing the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association, said the petition is insufficient in form and substance because it lacks the proper verification, not accompanied by affidavit of merit and because it is filed at the regional office instead at the Receiving and Assessment Section of the Technical Evaluation Division of LTFRB in Quezon City as required under the general rule.

Capanas stressed the regional office has no jurisdiction over the petitions being filed.

He also argued that Iway, as the petitioner, has no “Locus Standi” to file the petition because he is not a commuter.

Capanas said the price of petroleum products is fluctuating and unstable so it can not be used as sole factor in requesting for fare reduction.

NADSU Secretary General Ruben Rama said the series of roll backs in gasoline price is so minimal that it has not lessened their sufferings from high oil price in the past.

Rama said they were not even granted their request for uniformity in fares that they have been asking.

LTFRB regional director Romulo Bernardes said that as soon as they are able to collate all the positions submitted, they will send it the central office for final assessment.

Contrary to what Capanas said, Bernardes claimed their office is allowed to receive petitions.

Bernardes said all the petitions accepted by their office are legitimate once they are filed.

He said the LTFRB central office may come out with a decision on the petition for fare reduction after one or two weeks. – Jessica Ann Pareja/WAB (THE FREEMAN)