Fare hike petition still pending before LTFRB

CEBU, Philippines - The fare hike petition filed by Cebu's transport group is still pending before the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board head office in Manila.

LTFRB-7 regional director Romulo Bernardes said that he already submitted to their head office all the position papers from the petitioner and those who opposed to it, to determine whether they have a basis to grant a fare hike or not.

It can be recalled that the Cebu Transport and Allied Services Multipurpose Cooperative filed last month before the LTFRB a petition for a one-peso fare hike in the minimum fare for public utility jeepney amid soaring costs of fuel, lubricants, oil, among others.

Lawyer Manuel Iway, one of the oppositors said that the petition has no basis.

Iway contended that the petition he filed six months ago to reduce the fare to P6 was not yet resolved by the LTFRB.

He added that right now, minimum jeepney fare is P6.50 but majority of the jeepney drivers are charging P7.

LTFRB had already conducted a public hearing on the said petition early last month.

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

Former urban poor commissioner Edward Ligas had said that the increase asked by the operators has no basis and another round of fare hikes would mean an additional burden especially among the poor. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP