Group mulls petition for reduction in fares

CEBU, Philippines - A consumer group in Cebu is contemplating to file a petition seeking for the reduction of jeepney fares amid the continued decline in the prices of fuel.  

This developed as a local chief executive wanted the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to automatically reduced fare once there is a decrease in the fuel prices.

Consumers Rights for Economic Welfare president Vicente Sapio said he wanted a P.50 cent fare reduction in the minimum fare.

Sapio said that the petition will be filed if fuel prices will further decrease but it will be the CREW directors who would make the decision.

Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, in a separate interview, said the LTFRB should automatically reduce jeepney and taxi fares once there is a decrease in the prices of fuel.

Gatchalian said that instead of waiting for petitions to reduce the fares, the board should do it automatically.

“That should be automatic. That’s their job,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said that if there’s really a reason for a rollback, then it is just fair to bring the fare down.

“We have to be fair to the commuters as well,” he said.

But Ryan Benjamin Yu, chairman of the Cebu Confederation of Transport Operators and Drivers Inc., said the fuel price reduction does not merit any fare reduction as of the moment.

“We will see. I think it is still premature to discuss a rollback,” Yu said.

Yu said that the diesel is still priced at more than P40 a liter and for fare to reduce it to P7, diesel price must be at P38 per liter.

Romeo Armamento, president of Mandaue United Drivers Association, said the consumer group can file any petition.

“Ipa-file lang ila petition kay i-hearing ra man na og may merit ila petition (Let them file the petition since there is a hearing to see if there is merit in their petition),” Armamento said.

It has been observed that some jeepney drivers and conductors are not observing the P7.50 minimum fare, opting to collect P8, which upsets many passengers.

Last week, the LTFRB dismissed the fare hike petition filed by taxi operators nationwide.

Then, on June 7, National Council for Consumer Protection, Inc. filed a petition seeking to reduce taxi fare from the current P40 to P30 for the first 500 meters.— (FREEMAN)