LTFRB to hold public hearing on petitions

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will conduct a public hearing on July 10 on the petitions for lower taxi and jeepney fares.

The petitions followed the successive decreases in fuel prices.

LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway said the Luzon-based National Center for Commuters Safety and Protection, chaired by Elvira Medina, has filed a petition to reduce jeepney minimum fares from P8 for the first five kms. to P7.50.

They also want the taxi flagdown rate reduced from P40 to P30 for the first 500 meters, and from P3.50 to P2.50 per succeeding 300 meters.

Iway said that the Cebu-based Consumers Rights and Economic Welfare (Crew) Inc., chaired by Vic Sapio, is seeking reduction of jeepney fares from P7.50 to P6 for the first five kilometers.

“I am always against fare increases as can be read in my dissenting opinions in the previous LTFRB orders. We will hear the petitioners to decrease the fares of jeepneys and taxis so we can decide on the matter fairly,” Iway said.

The public hearing on July 10 was also announced by LTFRB Director Ahmed Cuizon during the 888 News Forum at Marco Polo Plaza yesterday.

Cuizon said his office received the petition to decrease jeepney and taxi fares and he has forwarded it to their LTFRB head office in Manila for decision.

Franchises

Meanwhile, Iway denied reports that Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Sec. Mar Roxas wants them to resign for reportedly renewing the franchises of passenger buses of the defunct Pantranco bus company.

Iway said he and LTFRB Board Member Samuel Garcia favored the decision to renew the Pantranco franchises based on the order of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and the Court of Appeals.

“There is a Court of Appeals order awarding the franchises and buses of Pantranco employees who failed to receive their compensation. There is no truth to the report that the franchises have expired because before Pantranco closed operation, the employees filed a petition for extension of validity of these franchises,” Iway said.

He said that while LTFRB chairperson James Jacob issued a dissenting opinion on the renewal of Pantranco franchises because of the need for road measure capacity (RMC), he (Jacob) did not oppose the decision.

There is also a legal opinion from the LTFRB legal department favoring the renewal of the Pantranco franchises.

“LTFRB is a collegial body so that if there are already two votes from its three members, the majority’s decision will prevail,” Iway said.

Iway said what Roxas wants is the deferment of the implementation of the Pantranco franchise pending review by DOTC.