EXCLUSIVE: Approved fare hike not enough, drivers say

Commuters and drivers are complaining amid the oil price hike on Tuesday, 17 March, despite the approval of a minimum fare increase for public utility vehicles by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Effective on Thursday, 19 March, traditional jeepneys will implement a one peso minimum fare increase from P13 to P14; modern jeepneys from P15 to P17; ordinary metro/city buses from P13 to P15; air-conditioned metro/city buses from P15 to P18; provincial buses (ordinary) from P11 to P12; and Transport Network Vehicle Services (TNVS) will add P20 base fare.

In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Robert, a traditional jeepney driver on the Buendia-Guadalupe route, said the one peso increase is not enough to offset rising fuel costs.

"Dadagdag ng piso? Anong mangyayari dun? Dadagdag ka ng piso tapos magiging isang daan yung krudo...Operator na lang kikita nyan.. di naman binababaan ang boundary (Add one peso? What will that do? You add one peso, then fuel will hit one hundred… Only the operators will profit from that… the boundary isn’t even being reduced)," he said.

He said he is planning to resign once he receives the P5,000 subsidy from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and will apply as a truck driver instead.

A 72-year-old tricycle driver from Bataan, Rizaldy, said their tricycle operator of TODA also had to increase fares from P20 to P30, which has led to fewer passengers.

"Kaya marami rin umaangal ng mga nagko-commute. E wala kami magawa dahil tumaas ang gasolina, yung ginagamit namin (That’s why many commuters are also complaining. But we can’t do anything because the gasoline we use has gone up)," he said.

From earning an estimated P500 to P600 daily, he said his income has dropped to only P400 to P500, which is hardly enough to support his six children who are still studying. While he owns his tricycle, he noted that for others, the daily boundary has also increased from P120 to P150 in their TODA.

He added that the senior citizen discount is no longer felt, as fares from Bataan to Manila have risen to P300 or more from P260.

The P500 fuel subsidy they receive is only enough for a day, especially with rising electricity costs.

Ride-hailing driver and content creator Angelo Bryan Platilla, also known as Shortie Theking Platilla, said they are also affected by the oil price hike.

"Yung pagtaas ng singilan, nirerequest pa namin yan. Mahirap talaga ang sitwasyon naming mga rider, lahat kami rito naghihirap (We’re even requesting the fare increase. Our situation as riders is really difficult, we’re all struggling here)," he said.

However, he said enduring higher prices is still preferable compared to conditions in other countries.

"Sa pagtaas ng gasolina, isa lang sagot ko dyan. Sipag. Labas mo na yung abilidad mo. Yung reality ng buhay, harapin mo na, kasi yun na yun e, kaysa naman paulanin tayo ng kahit ano. Anong mas pipiliin mo, tumaas o paulanan tayo rito [missiles]? (With the rise in gasoline prices, my answer to that is hard work. Bring out your abilities. Face the reality of life, because that’s how it is. Rather than having anything rain down on us. What would you choose—prices going up, or [missiles] raining down on us?)," he shared.

The government is expecting the continuation of oil price hikes amid tensions in the Middle East. The DSWD has approved a P5,000 subsidy for passenger drivers, with the first batch distributed to tricycle drivers in Metro Manila on Tuesday.