Consumer group pushes for P1.50 fare reduction

CEBU, Philippines -  A consumer group is set to file today a petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 reducing the minimum fare by P1.50.

The Consumers Rights and Economic Welfare (CREW) had filed on Monday a petition seeking to reduce the PUJ minimum fare by P.50.

But it had withdrawn the petition on Tuesday as it wanted a bigger fare reduction following a series of fuel price rollback.

Vicente Sapio, CREW president, told The FREEMAN that the P.50 fare reduction is not enough because of the series of fuel price rollback the past weeks amounting to P10.

“The (P.50) reduction asked was a very small amount so we decided to change it from P7.50 to P6,” he said.

Sapio said the cost of unleaded gasoline, which was used to be P55, is now P45.

But he said that it is up to the LTFRB to decide on their petition.

“But sure sad ko nga bisan gamay naa gihapon nay rollback sa plitehan (But I’m sure there is a small rollback in fare),” he said.

Alliance of Progressive Labor chairman Jose Tomongha, a representative to the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB), said that despite the continuous reduction, fuel price in Cebu is higher compared to other provinces in the region.

The vice president of League of Cities of the Philippines, Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, urged the government to pursue the Oil Deregulation Law.

Gatchalian said that the government should not have lost control over the oil industry. 

— /LPM (FREEMAN)