Petitioners told: Rethink P1.50 fare hike proposal

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama appealed to transport groups who are seeking a P1.50 fare increase to carefully study their petition before they file it before the appropriate authorities.

Rama is worried that the move will create a domino effect in the prices of other commodities which will further burden the public. The Cebu Integrated Transport Services Cooperative (CITRASCO) and the Alyansa sa Nagkahiusang Drayber-Operator Alang sa Reporma (ANDAR) reportedly sought to increase the minimum fare up to P8.

The current Public Utility Jeepney minimum fare is P6.50.

Petitioners based their proposal on the rising cost of fuel and the cost of spare parts for the maintenance of their vehicles.

The petition for a P1.50 fare hike was refiled in 2009 but several petitions were filed as early as 2005 before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Region 7.

In 2008, LTFRB-7 allowed PUJs to collect a P7.50 minimum fare but after various petitions for rollbacks due to decreasing prices of petroleum products, the board issued two consecutive P0.50 rollbacks in December of 2008 and March of 2009.

Transport groups also believe that it is high time that Cebu’s rate will be equal to Manila and Mindanao where the prices of fuel are even cheaper than Cebu.

“The fare hike is something that will always bring worries because any hike will always trigger another hike. Others will start to ask higher allowance, then ask for salary increase. It creates a domino effect so they should discuss it intelligently,” Rama said. He, however, has no objection if transport sectors will be able to defend their proposal.

“If naa gyud rason, nganong di man tagaan. But i-discuss gyud na,” he added.

Some passengers interviewed by The FREEMAN frowned on the proposal.

A 21-year-old commuter lamented that drivers should also consider the plight of ordinary workers earning minimum wage before they propose an increase.

A minimum wage earner in Cebu gets a daily salary of P285 after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region 7 approved the P18 increase last August.

She said that the increase is not even enough to buy a kilo of rice, the price of which has ballooned parallel to the increase of other basic commodities.

College students Stephanie Solante and Neal de Dios are also not amenable to the proposed increase.

Both of them agreed that drivers do not deserve it because in the first place, most of them do not even observe the 20 percent discount for students and senior citizens. — THE FREEMAN