Bus operators promise: No fare increase in 2015

MANILA, Philippines - The Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) on Monday assured commuters that its members will not be raising fares despite the possibility of an increase in toll rates at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), South Luzon Expressway and the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) next year.

In a letter submitted to Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Winston Ginez, the group said they decided to follow the provisional authority issued last May 17, 2008 which pegged the provincial bus fare at P9 for the first five kilometers and additional P1.40 per kilometer for ordinary, non-airconditioned buses.

PBOAP said regular airconditioned bus fares are pegged at P9 per kolometer with P1.80 per succeeding kilometers while aircon deluxe is at P1.70 per kilometer and luxury buses at P2.25 per kilometer.

Accordng to PBOAP, these are the prevailing provincial bus fares since 2008 which remains unchanged inspite of increases in toll rates, fluctuations in diesel oil prices, increasing maintenance costs and inflation.

Alex Yague, PBOAP executive director said bus companies have opted to shoulder the rising costs of motor oil and motor parts for the past six years. Yague said the price of motor oil has increased from P86 per liter to P132 per liter in 2014. Meanwhile, prices of tires and other spare parts increased have by 38 percent from 2008 to 2014.

Yague also said provincial bus operators also spent enormous sums in the installation of GPS or Global Positioning Systems, speedlimiters and other accessories in their units to improve safety and security of passengers.

Yague cautions changing the fare matrix right now since this does not benefit commuters and the bus sector at large. Yague said bus companies are tasked by government to shoulder the future costs of such integration. As such, both the bus sector and the government should work together to enable bus companies to meet the growing market requirements.

“Our economy is growing and the population is growing. Globalization and the ASEAN integration is setting in by 2015 and the modernization of our bus industry whish is essential to the success of our mass transport system is the government’s primary conern.” Yague said.