PISTON warns impact of fuel hikes on drivers

Soaring global oil prices are eroding the livelihoods of jeepney drivers and operators nationwide, transport group PISTON said Thursday, estimating that many now take home only Php200 to Php300 per day — a fraction of what they previously earned.

“Drivers and operators are being crushed by rising fuel costs,” Piston president Mody Floranda told reporters.

Floranda added that with diesel prices shooting past Php100 per liter in recent days, drivers are now shelling out more than Php3,000 daily, since a traditional jeepney typically burns through about 30 liters of fuel each day.

"What else can we provide for our families? Before, we could take home around Php500 to Php700, but now, based on our data, drivers and operators can only earn around P200 to Php300,” Floranda said.

The squeeze comes amid broader transport sector tensions over fare adjustments.

While authorities have temporarily deferred proposed fare increases in an effort to shield commuters from higher costs, Piston argued that drivers are left without adequate relief as expenses rise faster than fares can be adjusted.

Transport groups earlier pushed for a provisional fare hike to help offset operating losses — a proposal Piston described as an “insulto” given the scale of fuel price increases — but the government’s hesitancy has left many drivers’ appeals unanswered.