Ex-LTFRB chief pushes for fare reduction

CEBU, Philippines - Amidst the continued reduction in the prices of fuel, a former board member of the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board will petition to reduce the current fare in taxi and public utility jeepneys nationwide.

Representative Manuel Iway of the first district in Negros Oriental said he will file the petition on Friday.

“Kay sigi naman og ubos ang presyo sa fuel, so angayan na gyud paubsan sa pletehan sa taxi og jeepney,” Iway said.

Iway said he will file a petition to lower the minimum PUJ fare by .50 and another .25 for each succeeding kilometer.

Currently, the minimum fare in Central Visayas is P7 for the first five kilometers and an additional P.90 for every succeeding kilometer.

If approved, the minimum fare in Region 7 will be P6.50 with P.65 for every succeeding kilometer.

Iway said he will also ask for a P1 reduction in taxi fare and will lobby to reduce to P2.50 the current rate of P3.50 for the succeeding 300 meters.

Earlier, CITRASCO, the largest transport cooperative in the Visayas contemplated on filing a fare reduction petition for PUJs.

Ryan Benjamin Yu, CITRASCO chairman, said they are eyeing at a P.50 cut to make the minimum fare P6.50.

But Yu said yesterday they will no longer seek file a separate petition and will just wait for the result of Iway’s petition.

Romeo Armamento, vice president for Central Visayas of the National Confederation of Transportworkers Union, said they do not agree to the fare reduction despite the fuel price rollbacks.

Armamento said the reduction in the prices of fuel has not translated to reduction in the prices of basic commodities, tuition fee, and utilities bills, among others.

For its part, the Department of Energy-7 said there is no way of knowing until when consumers can enjoy the benefit of the continued reduction in fuel prices.

“Lisud tag-anon kung hagtud kanus-a ni. Pero kitang mga consumers, ganahan ta nga magpabilin nga ubos ang presyo sa lana,” said DOE-7 Director Antonio Labios in an earlier interview.

Labios said that due to the economic slowdown worldwide especially in China and in Greece, prices of fuel remained low.

“This is also coupled with oversupply of fuel,” Labios cited on the reasons of continued fuel price reduction.

Taxi  flagdown

Meanwhile, Iway said there is also a need to recalibrate the meters of taxis because many drivers reportedly do not honor the P10 automatic reduction from the flagdown rate.

The meter in taxis is calibrated with a P40 flagdown rate but the fare has already been reduced to P30. Cab companies, however, found it costly to have the meter recalibrated so it became a mutual understanding that drivers would just deduct P10 from what a passenger pays.

Many taxi drivers, however, still refuse to honor this agreement.

“Daghang mga taxi drivers ang wa na nituman sa P10 deduction sa flagdown rate. So mas maayo e-calibrate nalang gyud ang flagdown rate sa P30.00 aron wa nay daghang lalis,” Iway further said. — (FREEMAN)