CEBU - Here is a bit of god news to commuters, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved a provisional rollback of 50 centavos in the minimum fare for jeepneys and buses nationwide starting Friday.
LTFRB Regional Executive Director Lawyer Emmanuel Mahipus said the hearing yesterday morning gave way to a consensus among transportation officials, different transport groups and other concerned sectors to grant a P0.50 fare rollback while the main petition for P1.50 fare reduction is still being heard.
In a radio report yesterday, LTFRB-7 Regional Director Romulo Bernardes said the rollback is applicable to Central Visayas and shall be implemented at the mandated period.
The minimum fare in Cebu shall be P7.50 for PUJs starting November 7, but drivers can start implementation today on a voluntary basis.
Cebu Integrated Transport Service Cooperative (CITRASCO) Chairman Clifford Niñal said they will welcome the provisional rollback and will implement it today.
To recall, CITRASCO expressed willingness to grant a P0.50 provisional decrease in response to the riding public’s request for a lower fare rate.
CITRASCO originally planned to submit a proposal to LTFRB-7 for a 50-centavo provisional rollback.
Niñal said they will still submit a position paper to LTFRB to let the bureau know that they are willing to decrease the fare to as much a P1 if fuel prices reach P30.
He said they will continue to monitor fuel prices and will take immediate action if ever there will be any development.
Niñal said Bernardes called him yesterday to inform about the result of the hearing and made them understand how the board had come up with the decision.
In a phone interview Mahipus explained that the 50-centavo provisional rollback was a product of negotiation and decision with no objection from the attendees of the hearing.
He added that while the main petition still lacks evidence which will serve as bases for a decision, the provisional decrease shall be valid until further notice.
Mahipus said the next hearing for the main petition of P1.50 rollback will be on December 5.
The Visayas United Drivers Transport and Allied Services Cooperative (VUDTRASCO) also welcomed the provisional rollback.
VUDTRASCO Chairman Alex Bordadora however said that it will be up to their members if they will implement the rollback immediately or will just wait until Friday.
Bordadora said that the fare reduction will always be provisional because if ever the fuel price increases once more, they will have to collect again the P8.00 minimum fare.
They would however collect only in such time that the fuel price goes back to the level when the P8.00 minimum fare was granted.
The Alyansa sa Nagkahiusang Driver Alang sa Reporma (ANDAR), though not in favor of the decrease, just said “Wala tay mahimo, gimando naman.”
ANDAR president Romeo Armamento told The Freeman that they will follow the rule but they are not sure if they will be able to implement it immediately.
Meanwhile, Mahipus said that CV may not implement the provisional rollback in buses since bus drivers collect fares lower than what is mandated.
LTFRB granted P0.50 provisional rollback for the first five kilometers rate of ordinary buses and P1.00 for air-conditioned buses. It shall be implemented starting November 10.
But in Central Visayas, buses collect only the minimum P8.50 for the first five kilometers and P1.20 for every succeeding kilometer.
The mandated minimum fare for buses is supposed to be P9.50 for the first five kilometers and P1.40 for every succeeding kilometer.
Mahipus said the P0.50 provisional decrease for buses shall be applied only to those collecting the actual mandated fare.
The Cebu Provincial Buses and Operators Association Chairman Nicholas Villahermosa said they will hold a meeting to discuss lowering bus fares. . — /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)