Jeepney group defers fare hike bid

Jeepney operators and drivers have called off a plan to petition the government for a 50 centavo fare increase pending the outcome of a dialogue with President Estrada at Malacañang today.

"In respect to the President, we would not yet file our petition," said Efren de Luna, head of the Philippine Confederation of Drivers Organization-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (PCDP-ACTO). "We want to hear what he has to say about our plight."

Last Saturday, the President announced he would meet with representatives of various public transport organizations led by the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers' Association of the Philippines (FEDJODAP).

The Chief Executive is expected to ask transport leaders during the meeting not to raise fares in jeepneys and other sectors that fall under their umbrella.

Earlier, transport groups asked for a meeting with Mr. Estrada to discuss the repercussions of continuing price increases in gasoline and other petroleum products.

Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui has secured the commitment of several leaders of transport organizations that they will not unilaterally raise fares in jeepneys and buses.

PCDO-ACTO planned to ask the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to increase the minimum fare from P3 to P 3.50 following the recent adjustment in oil prices.

De Luna said they would ask the President to provide the transportation sector with safety nets against any increase in oil prices.

These safety nets include the scrapping of the oil deregulation law and the creation of an agency that will oversee the oil industry, he added.

"All sectors should be represented in this body," he said. "This will provide a check and balance in the energy sector. The government should have control over the oil firms. They (oil firms) will take any opportunity to increase their prices."