LTFRB to rule on taxi, bus fare rollback

MANILA, Philippines - After approving the 50-centavo fare cut for public utility jeepneys, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will now tackle fare adjustment petitions for taxis and public utility buses.

LTFRB board member Ariel Inton said yesterday that the different petitions are now submitted for resolution.

He said the ruling on the fare adjustment for taxis will cover the petition of Negros Oriental Rep. Mauel Iway for a rollback on the flagdown rate, as well as the request of taxi operators to increase the waiting time rate.

The board will also include its ruling on the motion for reconsideration seeking the reversal of an earlier board decision that granted a provisional P10-rollback on the flagdown rate.

The ruling, released in March last year, lowered the flagdown rate to P30.

A group of taxi operators earlier bucked the proposal to reduce the fare.

National Taxi Operators Association president Bong Suntay said reducing taxi fares is illogical even if there is a big-time rollback of gas prices because gas consumption increases due to the heavy traffic in Metro Manila.

He also said there is tough competition from app-based transport service providers Uber and GrabCar.

Meanwhile, Inton said the board is also set to rule on the petition filed by Iway to roll back the fare of public buses.

He said operators are objecting to the fare cut, saying they are currently in the process of modernization.

The LTFRB official said the board will decide on the petitions and would weigh all the arguments of the parties concerned.

50¢ jeepney fare cut

The LTFRB formalized yesterday the 50-centavo provisional minimum fare rollback for jeepneys operating in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Southern Tagalog.

In the three-page order signed by LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez and board members Inton and Ronaldo Corpuz, the board noted the petition of jeepney operators to lower the minimum fare due to rollback in diesel prices.

The LTFRB lowered the minimum fare to P7 effective today, while incremental fare for succeeding kilometers after the first four kilometers will remain at P1.50.