The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, or LTFRB, downplayed the possibility of minimum jeepney fares soaring to a whopping P50 once the government's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, or PUVMP, rolls out.
The clarification came on the heels of a circulating projection by a commuter group that said the PUVMP would trigger a massive surge in jeepney fares.
LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III on Thursday said the projection was "statistically impossible" and assured the public that such an exorbitant fare would never happen.
"P50 is so far from P15, and such claims by the commuter group are not true. It's statistically impossible for modern jeepneys to charge such an exorbitant fare," Guadiz said.
"Where are they getting their data? Did they even study that? You just can't blurt out things like that," he added.
The LTFRB chairman pointed out that in coming up with fare hike projections, a study must be conducted and various factors must be assessed.
He said assessments like this must be backed by data so as not to cause alarm to the public, especially commuters.
"The minimum fare for a traditional jeepney was P9, whereas for a modern jeepney, it was P11 at the beginning of the PUV modernization in 2017. In 2023, or six years after, the minimum fare for a traditional jeepney is P13, while for a modern jeepney, it's P15. The difference of P2 never changed," Guadiz said.
According to Commuters of the Philippines chairperson Julius Dalay, the PUV modernization will result in high amortizations for new jeepney units, which will trigger a fare increase.
"It's not far-fetched that a P50 jeepney fare would happen, and that would hurt the pockets of the consumers," he said.
Meanwhile, IBON Foundation, a progressive-leaning think tank, predicted that jeepney fares could surge fivefold since only 57 percent of jeepneys and 65 percent of UV express vehicles nationwide have been consolidated.
"The Marcos Jr. administration is indifferent to the plight of PUV drivers, operators, and commuters, and instead is more concerned with private sector interests that will benefit the most from the forced consolidation," the foundation said.
"The worsening privatization and corporatization threaten to raise jeepney fares by 300-400 percent over the next few years," it added.
Despite government claims of a high consolidation rate, the IBON Foundation countered that the consolidation rate in the NCR, which has the biggest and most concentrated population in the country, is even lower than the national average at only 26 percent of jeepneys and 34 percent of UV Express vehicles consolidated.
"There are an estimated nine million jeepney passengers daily in Metro Manila alone, and the lack of consolidated PUJs will leave many of them stranded," it added.
Amid the speculations, the LTFRB assured passengers that it would provide better services and that no unreasonable fare hikes would be implemented.
