Rough road for transport sector, commuters

CEBU - It is almost always the transport sector that gets the brunt of a fuel price increase. But it almost always rides out the storm, poker-faced.

Dubbed as the most battered among the sectors affected every time there is a round of fuel adjustments, a group led by the Cebu Integrated Transport Service Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Citrasco) and Visayan United Drivers Transport Service Cooperative (Vudtrasco) filed a P2.50 fare increase in the minimum fare for jeepneys.

But as fuel prices continued to increase, the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board continued to negotiate with various transport groups nationwide who had filed the several fare hike petitions.

During the Regional Managers Conference in Panglao, Bohol last May 8 and 9, the LTFRB did not act on the petition by other jeepney drivers’ groups to raise the minimum fare from P6 to P7.50.

On May 21, LTFRB granted a provisional fare hike by .50 centavos for jeepneys, raising it from P6 to P6.50.

Again, on June 27, LTFRB, amid the threat of another transport strike, granted another 50-centavo provisional fare increase for jeepneys raising it from P6.50 to P7.

But the provisional fare hike now totaling P1 was characterized by the jeepney sector as a mere token, and on June 30, 2008, NADSU launched another transport strike, convincing about 60 to 70 percent of public vehicles in Metro Cebu to keep off the streets.

The strike, supported by the different allied people’s organizations, paralyzed public transport in the cities of Mandaue, Cebu and Talisay.

On July 8, 2008, LTFRB once again raised the jeepney minimum fare in Central Visayas including Cebu by P1 from P7 to P8 and an add-on rate of P10 for taxis.

Jeepney fare in Cebu then increased by a whopping P2 in less than two months, which is big by Metro Manila standards. Metro Manila jeepneys were just given an increase of P1 over the same period.

As commuters continue to bear the high cost of fare, fuel prices started to drop in the early part of the third quarter and on November 5, LTFRB for the first time granted a .50 cents fare reduction making it P7.50 from P8.

On September 15, lawyer Manuel Iway sought a fare reduction of P2.50 for jeepneys as well as the removal of the add-on rate for taxi.

On December 5, 2008, the LTFRB board approved a further fare reduction of .50 centavos for jeepneys, reducing the fare to P7 from P7.50 and the removal of the P10 add-on rate for taxis.

Bus fare was also reduced by 50 centavos for the first five kilometers.

The Metro Cebu Taxi Operators and Drivers Association expressed no opposition on the decision.

However such provisional fare reduction, which took effect last December 15 is only effective until March 15, 2009.

The LTFRB has still to hold a public hearing on February 18, 2009, on the petition whether to make the rollback permanent.

LTFRB will decide whether the reduction will be made permanent or temporary or whether there will be a further reduction of fares depending on the prices of fuel in the world market. — With Chino Gabutina, Metro Editor   (THE FREEMAN)