Bus fares to be cut for ‘trial period’

Faced with cutthroat competition posed by the low fare rates of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT), bus companies announced yesterday that they will be lowering fares for air-conditioned buses for a one-week "trial period."

Claire de la Fuente, president of the Integrated Metro Manila Bus Operators Association (IMMBOA), said the rollback of the minimum fare for air-con buses, from P9 to P7.50, will in particular affect buses plying EDSA.

"We will give a gift, a sort of gift to our riders. It will start on Monday, Sept. 20. This is confined to air-con buses only. And it will be offered on a trial basis of one week," she said at yesterday’s press conference at the Department of Transportation and Communications head office.

De la Fuente said that the one-week rollback was meant to test suggestions that the reason for the low passenger volume of air-con buses plying EDSA was that their fare was deemed too high compared to fares charged by ordinary buses, which are not air-conditioned, and the more convenient MRT.

De la Fuente earlier said bus companies were planning to convert their air-conditioned buses to ordinary ones so they can offer lower fares and compete with the MRT.

She admitted that air-con buses were now getting an average 53 percent load capacity. With next week’s rollback, she said bus companies hoped to see an increase in load capacity of

as much as 80 to 85 percent.

De la Fuente said the one-week rollback could be made permanent and that this depended "on the support it will get from the riding public."

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) director Ma. Elena Bautista lauded the bus companies for the move.

"It will be a good (precedent)," Bautista said. She pointed out that it could show that higher fare does not necessarily result in more passengers and earnings for transport companies.