Ex-councilor Jun Pe seeks fare reduction

CEBU, Philippines - A former Cebu City councilor has filed a petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 to reduce jeepney fare by .50.

Augustus “Jun” Pe was quick to say, however, that the move is not a prelude to a political comeback. Pe used to head the committee on transportation in the City Council.

“I filed the petition not because I want to make a political comeback, but I am doing this for the riding public. Prices of fuel are decreasing… it is proper also that fare will also be reduced,” Pe said.

In his four-page petition, Pe said there is a substantial difference between the domestic oil price in May 2012, which was P44.00 per liter when the P7.50 minimum fare was implemented – compared to the current fuel price of P36.60 per liter.

He pointed out that the minimum fare for jeepneys was pegged at P7 way back in December 2008 and diesel price at that time was P36.60 per liter, the prevailing price as reported by the Department of Energy.

The transport groups do not oppose the petition but on certain conditions.

“Wa mi problema anang fare reduction provided there will be a mechanism that will be provided that in case of fuel price hike, fare hike will also be automatic,” said Ryan Benjamin Yu, general manager of CITRASCO, the biggest transport cooperative in Central Visayas.

Yu said that based on experience, fuel prices start to spike by December.

Romeo Armamento, national vice president of the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union - Central Visayas, said they will not also the petition provided they will not pay the fare matrix amounting to P500 per case number.

One case number comprises at least one unit to 20 units.

Armamento added that oil dealers must also be invited during the fare hike public hearing to assure the transport sector that there will be no oil price movement in the next three months.

For their part, the Associated Labor Unions - Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and the Partido ng Manggagawa said the petition is a welcome development.

“Transport cost is one of the factors that diminished the worker’s take home pay,” said ALU-TUCP spokesperson Art Barrit.

  Dennis Derige, spokesperson of the Partido ng Manggagawa- Cebu, said, however, that aside from reducing fare, prices of commodities should also be rolled back, as well as power and water rates.

The Alliance of Progressive Labor – Central Visayas agrees.

“I think it is fair enough to have a provisional reduction of fare because of series of oil price rollback, which is only temporary. We know for a fact that the government has no control of it because of Oil Deregulation Law,” said its chairman Jose Tomongha.

LTFRB-7 Director Rey Elnar said he will schedule a public hearing on Pe’s petition in the second week of December.

 It can be recalled that when prices of fuel started to increase last year, CITRASCO opted to withdraw the petition it filed sometime in March 2014 to increase jeepney fare by P2.50, with an appeal for LTFRB to strengthen enforcement on the anti-colorum and out-of-line vehicles. – (FREEMAN)