Commuter group 'not opposed' to P1 fare hike but calls for long-term solution to oil woes
MANILA, Philippines — A day after the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board approved a P1 provisional increase on the minimum fare of public utility jeepneys, commuter network The Passenger Forum announced they will not oppose the decision.
This comes after the LTFRB approved the P1 increase it initially denied in March after oil companies implemented another round of big-time hike in the pump prices of petroleum products this week, with the price of diesel increasing by more than P6 per liter.
In a statement to reporters, TPF Convenor Primo Morillo said that while the fare hike will affect passengers, the top commuter concern right now is the lack of public utility vehicles.
“We understand the plight of PUJ drivers. Some of them have already decided to stop plying their routes because of the meager income they get from continuing to serve our commuters. We hope that this will somehow cushion the effects of the non-stop hikes in diesel prices," he said.
Two more petitions are pending before the LTFRB: one pushing for a P3 increase, and another one praying for an additional P5 to the minimum fare on jeepneys.
The Passenger Forum was among the groups urging caution over the possibility of yet another commuter crisis in the coming months as more and more companies call their employees back to on-site work and with schools possibly opening up for face-to-face classes soon.
Morillo explained that the long-term solution to the transport crisis involves looking for ways for the government to regulate fuel prices and explore transport solutions "that are not dependent on fossil fuels such as having more train systems."
“We have been campaigning for the government to solve the apparent lack of public transport options for more than a year already. We have seen the long lines of commuters along our sidewalks and roads, and in transport terminals. If this fare hike will stop PUJ drivers and operators from abandoning their routes, this is welcome for us,” he said.
“This is just a provisional fare increase. We can still revert back to the old fare once we are able to solve the unabated increases in the price of petroleum products,” Morillo added.
The Passenger Forum said this crisis was only an extension of the same transport woes from before the pandemic, which was only smoke screened by the coronavirus-induced lockdowns but ultimately went unsolved.
"This is a daily problem. There are just times where it's more highlighted, because the problem gets worse and it doubles, triples, quadruples...there are many variables that stack up, but the number of PUVs is really too little," Morillo told Philstar.com earlier in a phone call.
"We expect more shock…there's just going to be a bit of reprieve after these elections. [...] But we'll enter another shock, and it will be the exact same...We know that's going to happen."
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