Proposed taxi fare cut bucked

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City councilor, who heads an association of taxi operators in the country, yesterday joined transport groups in opposing the petition of a senior administration lawmaker to reduce taxi and UV Express fares.

City council majority leader Bong Suntay asked board members of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to deny the petition for fare reduction filed by Negros Oriental Rep. Manuel Iway.

Suntay, president of the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association, said the board should consider other factors in deciding the petition.

In his petition, Iway – a former LTFRB board member – asked the board to reduce the P40 flagdown rate for taxis to P30, while the P3 charge for every 300 meters travelled and P3 for every two minutes of waiting be lowered to P2.50.

He also requested for fare reduction in airport taxis and UV Express, but did not specify the exact adjustments that he wants to be approved by the board.

The last taxi fare adjustment was approved by the LTFRB in 2010 when Iway was still a board member.

The lawmaker said the continuing drop in fuel prices in the past months merits a round of fare reduction.

But according to Suntay, approving Iway’s petition would cripple the livelihood of drivers and operators.

The councilor said taxi operators had not filed a petition to increase fares when gasoline prices reached as much as P50 per liter in previous years.

“This is an opportunity for the drivers to recover from the high prices of fuel in the past,” he said.

Joseph Vincent Go of the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay also opposed the proposed fare reduction.

He said fuel prices in the provinces are different from the current rates in Manila.

During the hearing, Iway – through his lawyer Benjamin Rosales – tried to submit a supplemental petition that specifies his requested cost of reduction in fares of airport taxis and UV Express.

The board, however, did not admit the supplemental petition as the lawmaker failed to comply with the rule requiring publication of the petition.

Jun Magno, president of Stop and Go coalition of UV Express drivers, asked the board to consider the rising prices of commodities and spare parts in deciding the petition.

LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez gave those opposing the petition until Jan. 16 to file their written comment on the fare cut plea.

He said the petition would be submitted for resolution by Jan. 23.

Bus fare cut plea withdrawn

Meanwhile, Iway withdrew his petition for fare reduction in buses due to issues involving the publication of the supplemental document that he sought to submit to the LTFRB.

The supplemental petition was supposed to fix issues on the original petition, which only called for fare adjustment in ordinary buses plying routes in Metro Manila.

Iway said he will file a new petition that will cover all buses operating nationwide.

In a separate interview, LTFRB board member Ariel Inton said they will look into the possibility of coordinating with the Department of Trade and Industry for the regulation of the costs of spare parts.

For his part, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara yesterday renewed his call for the immediate passage of a bill granting students 20-percent fare discount on all kinds of public transportation utilities, including the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) systems.

“Majority of Metro Manila students, who depend on the affordability of LRT and MRT, will suffer from the recent fare hike,” he said.

Angara said the discount will lessen the impact of the fare increases.

“We should assist the parents and students in shouldering transportation expenses relative to the rising cost of education in our country,” he said.

At present, the grant of student fare discount in jeepneys and buses is provided under a memorandum circular of the LTFRB.

Angara’s Senate Bill 203 seeks to institutionalize the grant of discount privilege to students on land, water, air and rail transport utilities.

If enacted, the student fare discount will be applicable the whole year round even during school break. – With Christina Mendez