Bus firms seek P2 fare hike

An organization of public utility bus operators said yesterday it would file a petition with the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) asking for a P2 increase in bus fare.

According to Inner-city Bus Operators Association (INTERBOA), this was the only way they can survive after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) refused to lift the number-coding scheme for buses.

Interboa spokesman Aladin Simundak said they will file the petition next week as MMDA starts implementing the Organized Bus Route (OBR) along EDSA.

Simundak said if the number-coding scheme is not lifted soon, they would continue suffering from low earnings and huge losses.

"We have long been suffering from the number-coding scheme. Our operators need to cope with the constant increase in the price of petroleum," he added.

Another organization of bus operators, the Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association (IMBOA), has also expressed their willingness to join in the petition.

IMBOA president Claire de la Fuente, however, clarified that their clamor was not because of the number-coding scheme but because of their need to save their business from eventually dying.

The MMDA earlier said the decision to lift the number-coding scheme depends on the success of the OBR or the single dispatching scheme.

In a recent meeting, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and LTFRB chief Len Bautista agreed that the number-coding scheme would only become unnecessary if the OBR proves to be effective.

Fernando said it would take them at least a month to assess whether the OBR is effective or not. – Edu Punay