LTFRB weighs jeepney drivers’ fare hike plea
Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III discusses the agency’s stance on the proposed jeepney fare hike pleas.
Photograph courtesy of LTFRB/fb
Daily TribuneLand Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III discusses the agency’s stance on the proposed jeepney fare hike pleas.
Photograph courtesy of LTFRB/fb
Major transport groups are seeking a provisional fare increase for public utility jeepneys, with officials from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) saying they are carefully reviewing the request.
The petition — filed 11 August — asks for a P1 provisional fare increase and other fare adjustments for both traditional and modern jeepneys.
Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers’ Associations of the Philippines and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations are among the groups that filed the petition.
LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said the board is “studying the petition in detail to ensure that any fare adjustment is fair, reasonable, and based on solid justification.”
He added that the board would consider both commuter welfare and operator viability.
“Our goal is to balance the needs of the riding public and the sustainability of public transport operations,” Guadiz said.
The petitioners are asking the LTFRB to make a previous P1 provisional fare hike permanent and to grant an additional P2 provisional increase.
This would bring the base fare to P15 for traditional jeepneys and to P19 for modern jeepneys, a P5 increase.
The jeepney groups also asked the LTFRB to increase the minimum jeepney fare from P13 to P14.
Pasang Masda president Obet Martin urged the LTFRB to grant the request, saying that jeepney drivers and operators could no longer afford the higher costs of fuel.
Meantime, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers’ Associations of the Philippines president Boy Vargas said the proposed fare hike could offset the estimated P200 to P300 per day in lost income for drivers.
To recall, the LTFRB last week opposed a fare hike, saying the government had allocated a P2.5 billion fuel subsidy for drivers of public utility vehicles.
Guadiz said the board would follow due process, including public consultations and hearings.
“We will listen to all sides before making a decision,” Guadiz said. “This is part of our mandate to ensure transparent and participatory fare-setting.”