15 days given for submission of position papers on fare hike

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is giving both the petitioner and oppositors 15 days to submit their respective position papers on the petition for fare hike.

A brownout cut short yesterday the public hearing conducted on the fare hike petition.

LTFRB regional director Romulo Bernardes said that all the position papers will be submitted to their head office in Manila for a final decision.

“Whether the P1 fare hike asked by the petitioner will be approved or not, it is up to the head office. All we do is to conduct a public hearing,” Bernardes said.

Lawyer Manuel Iway said that drivers normally get a take home pay of P700 per day, but several drivers said they “usually have a take home pay for a whole day work.”

A senior citizen lamented, during the public hearing, that drivers rarely give a 20-percent discount for senior citizens wherein, normally, if they complain, they only get the ire of the drivers.

Former urban poor commissioner Edward Ligas said that the increase asked by the operators has no basis and that another round of increase in fares would mean additional burden especially among the poor.

It can be recalled that the Cebu Transport and Allied Services Multipurpose Cooperative filed a P1 fare hike in jeepney minimum fare amid the rising cost of fuel, lubricants, oil, among others two weeks ago.

Iway added that right now jeepney minimum fare is P6.50 but several, if not majority of jeepney drivers, are charging P7.

Iway further said that majority of the drivers are also not implementing the 20-percent discount for students and for the differently abled. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)