ILOILO CITY — Operators of passenger boats plying the Guimaras and Iloilo route are asking for fare hike of at least P10 in the face of prohibitive fuel costs.
The three cooperatives managing the boats going in and out of Buenavista town in Guimaras are eyeing at least a P50 fare for the 15-minute boat ride going to and from Iloilo City.
“Given the situation, we have asked for the P 45 fare instead of the Php 50,” Mayor Eugene Reyes told Manila Bulletin.
Reyes said that the proposed P50 increase is too much for Buenavista residents who cross to Iloilo City for work and other necessary transactions.
Of the three cooperatives, Buenavista Development Cooperative (BDC) submitted a formal petition and was approved by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA). The BDC is scheduled to implement the fare hike on March 21.
The Buenavista Motorbanca Owners Association (BAMOSA) and Yohan will also submit a petition to MARINA.
Aside from the rising fuel costs, operators want fare hike to make up for the discrepancy caused by Guimaras’s implemention of 70-percent seating capacity despite being placed under Alert Level 1.
The boat operators in Jordan town have not formally submitted a petition. There’s a separate Jordan to Iloilo City route and vice versa.