By Alexandria Dennise San Juan
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Wednesday granted the petition of transport groups for fare increase, approving a P10 minimum fare for jeepneys or an increase of P2.
Jeepneys pass by the elliptical road near the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City to collect passengers Friday. (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN)
But LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra III requested drivers not to immediately implement the fare hike as it is not yet executory.
“We request drivers to wait until the Board releases the official document on the fare hike before charging the additional fare,” a statement from Delgra states.
Delgra’s office said that the document will be released once it is marked as docketed.
In a Board resolution, the LTFRB made permanent the provisional P1 fare increase it imposed earlier and approved an additional P1 for the first four kilometers, thus increasing the minimum fare to P10.
The order was signed last Wednesday by Delgra and Board Member Engr. Ronaldo Corpus. Board Member Aileen Lizada dissented.
Lizada has yet to furnish a copy of her dissenting opinion.
In September last year, transport groups Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap), League of Transport Operators of the Philippines (LTOP), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Altodap), and Pangkalahatang Sanggunian Manila and Suburb Drivers Assoc. Nationwide, Inc. (Pasangmasda) filed a petition for a P10 minimum jeepney fare before the LTFRB in a bid to cushion rising pump prices due to Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.
The groups emphasized in their petition the need for a jeepney fare increase, citing the rising price of fuel and spare parts that adversely affect them.
They added that it is “just and necessary” to raise the minimum fare in order to cover the increase in diesel price, spare parts, and other operational costs for the member drivers and operators.
The petition only covered the fare on PUJs in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Regions 3 and 4.
But the transport groups later revised their petition and instead asked transport regulators for a P12 minimum jeepney fare.
But the amended petition seeking a P4 increase over the original P2 hike was denied by the Board for “lack of factual and legal basis.”
The LTFRB also rejected the petitioners’ prayer for a P1 increase for every succeeding kilometer after the first four kilometers also for lack of factual and legal basis.