Bohol PB backs plea for P12 port fee deferment

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines— The Provincial Board rallies behind motorists in the appeal for the Philippine Ports Authority to postpone the collection of P12 entrance fee at the Tagbilaran Tourist Port.

As a committee of the whole, the PB members came up with a consensus on the matter during a meeting presided by Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim last Tuesday (Nov. 20).

The PB action came after tricycle drivers appealed for a leeway on the scheduled imposition of the P12 entrance starting December 1 when the influx of boat passengers is expected to rise in time for the Christmas season.

Passengers also expressed concern that the fee would be passed on to them by the tricycle drivers as what happened in Cebu ports where taxi passengers had to shell out for the entrance fee to the vicinity of the port.

The PB, which is now expected to approve a resolution on this issue during its regular session this Friday, has intended to hear first the sentiments of the tricycle drivers ferrying passengers to the tourist port.

PPA-Tagbilaran manager Manuel Boholano, for his part, explained to the PB members that he had already informed the tricycle operators to secure permit to operate (PTO) good for one year so that they could be accommodated accordingly inside the port area.

Boholano also explained that they are just implementing PPA Administrative Order 04-2009. The PTO for the entire tricycle driver and operators organization will only cost about P2,000, he said.

With around 40 tricycles plying the route, the PTO of P2,000 can be divided among them at only P50 each for the entire year, making it less burdensome to them, said Boholano.

In return, an area will be designated for the tricycles waiting for passengers at the port. This is to establish order inside the port area and improve the transportation service for boat passengers, he added. — (FREEMAN)