LTFRB to consolidate various fare increase proposals nationwide

CEBU, Philippines - Transport groups seeking fare hike adjustments have to wait for a while before the board members of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board will come up with a decision on the said petitions.

LTFRB regional director Romulo Bernardes said that during the LTFRB regional director’s conference the other day, it was agreed by the members of the board that all fare hike petitions filed by the different transport groups nationwide will be consolidated.

Bernardes said that more than five fare hike petitions were filed nationwide, one of which was filed by the Cebu Integrated Transport Services Cooperative or Citrasco in Cebu.

Bernardes said that the LTFRB’s board members, LTFRB chief and chairman of the board Alberto Suansing and board members Gerardo Capili and Maria Ellen Dirige-Cabatu will issue the decision on the petitions.

Bernardes said that the issue on para matrix, wherein all the regional directors will be given the power to grant or modify the fare hike petitions being filed within their respective jurisdiction, has still to be submitted to the National Economic Authority for approval.

Earlier, Citrasco filed an urgent motion asking LTFRB-7 to immediately rule on their P1 fare adjustment petition that was filed last August 18, 2009.

Citrasco through its chairman Ryan Benjamin Yu formally filed a petition proposing for a P1 increase in jeepney’s minimum fare making it P7.50 from the current P6.50.

The petition, however is being opposed by the various sectors including the urban poor, students and senior citizens.

Region-7 has around 10,000 jeepneys, majority of which are in Cebu.

The jeepney’s minimum fare in Central Visayas reached P8 in July last year amidst the rising cost of fuel but it was reduced to P7.50 sometime in August last year when prices of fuel started to drop.

On December 15, 2008, LTRFB implemented a second round of provisional fare reduction of 50 centavos for jeepneys making it P7 from P7.50 and further reduced it by 50 centavos sometime in March this year, making the current fare P6.50. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)