Dumaguete City Council okays pedicab fare cut

CEBU, Philippines - Citing the reduction of retail prices of petroleum products, the Dumaguete City Council has approved the adjustment of passenger fare for motorcabs-for-hire, locally known as pedicabs, from P8.50 to P6.50.

The council approved on third reading the resolution, authored by Councilor Nilo Sayson, slashing by P2 the pedicab fare, following the drop of fuel prices in the city to P29.70 per liter for diesel, P38.32 for unleaded gas and P38.67 for premium gas.

A public hearing was also held to get the consensus of the riding public as well as operators and drivers of pedicabs or MCHs.

During the public hearing, Eddie Lazaro of the ND Motor Piston-Dumaguete, a transport group, did not raise any objection to the fare rate adjustment, although he later announced on local radio they were opposing the move.

Lazaro on Thursday morning disclosed on air that, in their meeting held Wednesday evening, members and leaders of the transport group bucked the approval of the fare rate adjustment contending that it was disadvantageous to them.

The group said it also wanted to see a corresponding adjustment in the prices of commodities, said Lazaro, citing maintenance cost and prices of spare parts as among the reasons of their opposition.

The adjustment in the pedicab fare however has yet to be approved by Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria before it takes effect. —Judy Flores Partlow and Juancho R. Gallarde (FREEMAN)