Distribution of fuel cards starts

MANILA, Philippines -- The distribution of smartcards granting fuel subsidies to jeepney drivers will start today.

In Metro Manila, the giving out of fuel cards will be conducted at Camp Crame Grandstand in Quezon City, where more than 60,000 jeepney drivers are expected to troop.

The P450 million undertaking, otherwise known as Pantawid Pasada or Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP), aimed to cushion the impact of continuing increases in fuel prices in the world market.

It intends to provide a one-time help of P1,050 to legitimate jeepney operators while P150 to their tricycle counterparts, numbering to about 1,285,714 units.

In a guideline, the Department of Energy (DOE) said only legitimate franchise holders with valid and updated Land Transportation Office (LTO) registrations shall be entitled to the card.

For tricycle drivers, their host local government units are requested to furnish the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) with the detailed list of legitimate tricycle franchise holders in their respective localities.

To support the drive of ensuring that only legitimate public utility jeepney franchise holders are entitled to use the cards, petroleum retail outlets are enjoined to verify that the plate number of the public utility jeepney corresponds to the plate number that appeared on the card.

Gasoline stations have the right to refuse the card for fuel purchases by any public utility jeepney whose plate number does not match the plate number indicated on the card.

But militant transport group Piston chided the DOE for the manner of distribution of the smartcards.

Piston secretary general George San Mateo claimed that despite the one month preparation, the DOE could only grant 3,000 fuel subsidy cards to an estimated 215,000 jeepney units nationwide.

"Iisang lugar lang ito ipapamahagi, dun sa (Camp) Crame (Quezon City) na magdudulot pa ng pahirap sa mga operators na magmumula sa malayong lugar," San Mateo said.

In Metro Manila, San Mateo noted that there are around 65,000 franchised jeepney units, translating to less than 10 percent of the 3,000 smartcards to be distributed today.

He said the DOE has yet to announce the schedule of the distribution of the smartcards to the operators.

Earlier, some transport organizations like Fejodap and Pasang Masda have already submitted the list of their franchised units to the DOE for the smartcards.(With Dennis Carcamo)