House OKs fare discount bill on second reading

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has passed on second reading a bill mandating a 20-percent fare discount for students in all forms of public transportation.

Approved on second reading was House Bill 5068 or the proposed “Act Institutionalizing the Grant of Student Fare Discount Privileges on Public Transportation” authored by Reps. Raneo Abu, Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, Amado Bagatsing, Winston Castelo, Dakila Cua, Edgar Erice, Fernando Gonzalez, Gavini Pancho, Terry Ridon, Xavier Jesus Romualdo, Cesar Sarmiento, Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado and Alfredo Vargas.

The lawmakers said the measure seeks to make the student fare discount permanent and improve school attendance as well as to ease the financial burden of their families and reduce the dropout rate among the poor.

The measure seeks to entitle a student to a 20-percent discount on regular domestic fares of all kinds of public transportation utilities over land, sea and air, including the LRT and MRT, as well as tricycles, upon the presentation of any document properly establishing his or her identity.

The student fare discount privilege may be availed of only during schooldays, based on the actual date of travel.

Under the bill, students who are refused the fare discount privilege may file their complaints with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Maritime Industry Authority, Civil Aviation Board and with the office of the local chief executive that has jurisdiction over the complaint.

For land public transportation utilities, drivers shall suffer the penalty of confiscation of his or her driver’s license for one month for the first offense, two months for the second offense, three months for the third offense and three months plus a fine of P1,000 for each subsequent offense.

For sea or water and air public transportation utilities, the owner or operator of the utility shall be solidarily liable with its employee or agent responsible for the refusal or failure to grant the discount for a fine of P5,000 for the first offense; P10,000 for the second offense; P20,000 for the third offense; additional increments of P10,000 on top of the fine for the third offense for each subsequent offense.

For rail public transportation utilities, the operator of the utility shall be solidarily liable with its employee or agent responsible for the refusal or failure to grant the discount for a fine of P1,000 for the first offense; P5,000 for the second offense; P10,000 for the third offense; and additional increments of P5,000 on top of the penalty for the third offense for each subsequent offense.