Suspend fuel tax, not fares, commuter group tells gov’t

A transport advocacy group on Friday said suspending excise taxes on fuel—not raising fares—is what commuters are calling for amid rising oil prices.

The Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection said recent government moves may have missed the real concern of the public as fuel costs continue to climb due to tensions in the Middle East.

“What the people are asking is the suspension of the excise tax not the provisional increase in transport fare,” LCSP founder Atty. Ariel Inton told DAILY TRIBUNE.

Inton said the proposed fare hike contributed to disruptions in public transport, with some jeepney groups suspending operations due to rising costs.

“I think the president did not hear it right,” he said. “If the announcement is to ease commuters of the added burden in transport fare, what happened is the other way around. Many transport groups are suspending operation. Not much as a form of strike but because to operate at a loss is already suicide to them.”

Earlier, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez announced a P1 increase in fares for traditional jeepneys and P2 for modern jeepneys, alongside adjustments for buses and airport taxis.

“Inaprubahan na po natin kagabi ang pagtaas ng pamasahe pagdating sa mga provincial buses, metro buses, P2P, kasama din po ang jeepneys, at airport taxis,” Lopez said in a television interview.

The fare hike was set to take effect on Thursday but was later deferred by Malacañang.

“What made the president change his mind? Sigurado naman na bago inannounce ng DoTr yan e may go signal na sila. Sa Malacañang pa nga inanounce. At sabi nga nila directive ni presidente. Who ever or whatever made the president change his mind may perhaps be so powerful that an important decision such as this was suspended after all few hours it was announced,” Inton said.

He added that delaying the fare increase does not address the underlying issue.

“The president is (seemed) just delaying the inevitable,” he said.

Amid transport disruptions, the government rolled out free rides on select routes and a 50 percent fare discount on rail lines to assist commuters.