Disagreement on Amount: Groups split on fare hike

Transport organizations cannot agree on the increase of flag down rate for taxi cabs operating in Cebu.

While the Cebu Integrated Transport Services Cooperative (Citrasco) plans to file a petition anytime before the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board asking for a P5 increase of the flag down rate, the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association (MCTOA)  thinks otherwise.

MCTOA president Richard Cabucos said he is against any move for taxi fare increase, because it is not fair to pass on the burden to the riding public. Cabucos who leads majority of the taxi operators in Cebu with about 3,000 members told radio station dyLA that it is not yet time to ask for flag down rate increase.

Cabucos said MCTOA would only ask for fare increase if the price of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas, which their members are using would hit the P35 per liter. He said that the price of LPG is now P29 per liter, which is still tolerable.

“Madala pa bisan og moabot og traynta’y singko matag litro,” Cabucos said.

He however said that if ever Citrasco would push through with its petition for increase, MCTOA would not oppose it.

According to Cabucos, these taxi operators who are asking for an increase of the flag down rate are using gasoline. He said that instead of asking for an increase these operators should have their units converted from gasoline into LPG.

The MCTOA head said that operators using gasoline only accounts 15 percent or less than 1,000 taxi units in the entire Metro Cebu.  

Ryan Banjamin Yu, Citrasco managing director, said some of their members would have wanted to convert their units but it entails a huge sum of money to install a conversion kit.

Yu added that there are also taxi units that are no longer fit for conversion and needed to be reconditioned, which would cost so much to the operators. Yu said Citrasco has at least 200 member units.

But Cabucos said there are companies that offer conversion kit for installment and even free for as long as they will refuel in their gas station. Cabucos said some of the company allows a long term installment up to three years for only P18,000.

If the proposed P5 increase the taxi’s flag down rate would be P35, Cabucos however said they would not file an opposition with the LTFRB to Citrasco’s expected petition.

Yu said that the LTFRB should device a scheme that would allow taxi drivers using gasoline powered units to collect P35 flag down rate while those using LPG should remain in the P30.

According to Yu, this is a scheme that would give the riding public a choice whether to ride a gasoline or an LPG powered taxi.

Meanwhile, Yu described the proposed P2 increase in the minimum PUJ fare by the Alyasa sa Nagkahiusang Driver Alang sa Reporma (ANDAR) as “exorbitant” 

Yu, who also filed on behalf of its members a petition for PUJ fare increase before the LTFRB last November 19, said that P2 is already too much. He said, Citrasco, which has 800 PUJ member units, is only asking for a P1.50 increase.

According to Yu, this is the justifiable fare increase for PUJ fares.

ANDAR vice chairman Romeo Armamento earlier said they will be filing a petition for a P2 increase of the P6 minimum fare. Armamento cited the 15 rounds of fuel price increases within this year and the 20 to 50 percent rise in the price of vehicle spare parts, tires, lubricants and batteries.

The same grounds were also raised by Citrasco in their P1.50 fare increase petition. (/NLQ)