By Warren Elijah Valdez
SULTAN KUDARAT - The City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) of Davao City has approved the standard fare increase for tricycles in the city to P10.
(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
On May 26, the Davao City Motorized Tricycle-for-Hire Franchising and Regulatory Board of the CTTMO has issued a general public notice, through a resolution, approving the P10 minimum-fare charge for regular passengers for the first four kilometers.
The notice also provides that another P1 for every succeeding kilometers will be added to the fare charge of the regular passengers.
The increase in the tricycle fares took effect immediately on Tuesday, and will be implemented “until the State of Public Health Emergency is lifted.”
On the other hand, students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will have a minimum fare of P8 for the first four kilometers, and another 80 centavos for every succeeding kilometer.
“This resolution is set after careful consideration of the interest of the riding public and the tricycle operators and drivers and the limitation brought about by the general community quarantine, to adopt an equitable and reasonable fare rate for all,” the resolution said.
It can be noted that since the implementation of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the city, tricycles are only allowed to ferry three passengers – one in front and one at the back, and the driver.
Mayor Sara Duterte earlier announced on Monday the intention of the city government to increase the fare charges in tricycles in consideration of the strict limit of passengers that the transporting vehicle could accommodate given the strict implementation of the social distancing in public transports.
Meanwhile, with the resumption of the operation of the local public transportation in the city as it shifts to the general community quarantine (GCQ), the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also approved an increase in the minimum fare charges of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) to P9 for the first four kilometers, with additional charge of P1.50 in every succeeding kilometer.
It has almost been two months since PUJ operation in Davao City had been temporarily suspended when the local government placed the entire city under ECQ last April 19 through the Executive Order No. 23, Series of 2020 signed by Mayor Duterte last April 2.
PUJs were however compelled to acquire a special permit from the LTFRB before they could operate and implement the fare charge increase.