Transport groups promise Estrada: No fare increase

Despite the recent increases in oil prices, fares in jeepneys, buses, taxi cabs and even tricycles all over the country will remain the same.

An ecstatic President Estrada announced this yesterday after convincing leaders of public transport groups to freeze their fares.

"I have good news for our riding public: the bus, jeepney, taxi and tricycle will not have any increase in fares," he said.

The President, along with several of his Cabinet men, met with 14 transport leaders for two hours at Malacañang yesterday.

During the meeting, the President explicitly requested that fares in all public transportation vehicles be frozen for the meantime to help the people bear the effects of the recent oil price increases.

The transport leaders granted his request.

"I cannot forget this because they gave in to our call to help my administration," the President said.

Among those who attended the meeting were Romualdo Maranan, Efren de Luna, Medardo Roda, Roberto Peralta, Orlando Marquez and Boy Vargas for jeepney groups; Alex Yague, Amelia de Dios, Jose Piccio and Cesar Apolinario for bus groups; Luring Naval and Rene Peña for taxi cab groups; and Ariel Lim for tricycles and Jose Cortez for trucks.

The transport leaders earlier demanded a 50-centavo increase in their minimum fare following the 50- to 80-centavo hike in fuel prices.

The country's three biggest oil companies -- Petron, Shell and Caltex -- raised their pump prices almost simultaneously last week due to the rising cost of petroleum abroad.

To return the favor, the President said he promised the transport leaders that he would make life easier for public utility drivers who daily face numerous problems on the road.

He said he has directed Philippine National Police chief Deputy Director General Panfilo Lacson to continue with his campaign against policemen who ask drivers for bribes.

And he added that he would also ask the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board as well as the Land Transportation Office to be strict on "colorum" or illegal public vehicles.

The President also assured the transport leaders that the recently enacted Clean Air Act will not be immediately implemented and would instead allow owners of buses and jeepneys some 18 months to fix their vehicles and comply with the law with less difficulty.

The law, which seeks to promote cleaner air, strongly bans smoke-belching vehicles from all thoroughfares. -