LTFRB assures no P50 minimum fare for modern jeepneys during PUV modernization
The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) assured the commuters that the fare for public utility vehicles (PUV) will not reach P50 once the transportation modernization is fully implemented.
LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said the report of fare hike reaching P50 for modern jeepneys is statistically impossible and assured that the agency will never approve what he described as an exorbitant fare.
He is reacting to the statement issued by Ibon Foundation that projected that such a scenario would happen due to the corporate-type structure of the PUV Modernization program.
Currently, the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys is P13 and P15 for modern jeepneys.
Guadiz explained that in coming up with fare hike projections, a study must be conducted and various factors must be assessed, including its impact on the existing inflation rate.
This is the reason, he said, why the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is always consulted during any petition for fare hike.
“The minimum fare for a Traditional Jeep is ₱9, whereas a Modern Jeep costs ₱11 since the beginning of PUV modernization in 2017. The minimum fare for a Traditional Jeep is ₱13, while a modern Jeep is ₱15 after six years (2023). There is only P2 difference and it never changed,” said Guadiz.
Guadiz also made an assurance that the LTFRB remains committed to providing better service to the people and stressed that no unreasonable fare hikes will be implemented that would only add burden to the commuters.