Jeepney drivers urge fare hikes, steeper fuel cuts

Recent fuel price rollbacks at gasoline stations across Kawit have done little to ease the financial burden on jeepney drivers, who say their earnings have yet to recover from previous price spikes.

While many stations in the province of Cavite have complied with price reductions ranging from P5 to P10 per liter, drivers argue the adjustments are insufficient to offset the high cost of living and the losses sustained when fuel prices surged while fares remained stagnant.

Joaquin, 40, who has driven a jeepney for a decade, said the current reductions have no significant effect on his daily take-home pay.

“If you really look at it, it still has no significant effect,” Joaquin said. “Maybe if the price goes back to around P60 or P70, then we can truly recover from the losses when prices suddenly surged.”

Drivers cited that their income collapsed during the last period of inflation because they were forced to absorb the costs. While some passengers occasionally pay more than the standard fare out of kindness, Joaquin said those voluntary contributions are too inconsistent to rely on.

The sentiment is shared by veteran drivers like Mel, 52, who has spent nearly 20 years in the transport sector. He said that despite the drop in pump prices, the amount he brings home is so meager that his children have urged him to stop driving.

“The return to us is still small. It’s really hard these days,” Mel said. “They told me to stop for a while because I’m already exhausted, and what I bring home is getting smaller.”

Mel added that even when stations lower prices, the cuts are often minimal, sometimes only around P5 per liter, forcing him to be highly selective about where he refuels.

Faced with these conditions, transport workers are calling for more aggressive government intervention. Drivers suggested that if the government cannot ensure a sustained return to much lower fuel prices, it should instead consider increasing the base jeepney fare.

Government fuel subsidies were also criticized as a “short-term” fix. Mel noted that the subsidies often last only a few days, with nearly half the amount immediately consumed by fuel costs.