Public told: Report fare overcharging

CEBU, Philippines - A transport leader is encouraging bus passengers to report cases of fare overcharging so that this will be reported to authorities and proper sanctions could be imposed.

“Ako nanawagan ko nga kung kinsa to ang mabiktima aning overcharging sa mga buses to take note of the plate number. Kay ako mismo ang mopasaka og complaint against nila sa Land Transportation Office,” said Julieto Flores, spokesperson of the Cebu Provincial Bus Operators Association.

Passengers are expected to flock to transport terminals within the week for the New Year, either to go home to their respective provin-ces or to already go back to Cebu for work.

Flores, though, said that despite the number of passengers at the North Bus Terminal and the Cebu South Bus Terminal, no ca-ses of fare overcharging was reported so far.

Filipinos will be having a long holiday starting yesterday as normal classes and work will resume only on Monday, January 4, 2016.        Land Transportation and Franchising Regula-tory Board-7 Director Rey Elnar also said that he has yet to receive complaints of fare overcharging following inspections made by his personnel at the said terminals. He said there were also no reports of colorum buses operating at the two terminals. Colorum buses are those that operate without any franchise and are not covered by insurance injured victims and those who die in cases of accident.

Under Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 of LTFRB, Land Transportation Office, and the Department of Transportation and Communication, operators of colorum buses shall be made to suffer a penalty of P1 million and impounding of their bus units. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RHM (FREEMAN)