|
Thursday, April 28, 2005
P2 fare hike looming for Oro
By Danilo V. Adorador III
Trafeco hesitant to back increase but says it's inevitable
* Public consultation to be done after fare approval
A NEW fare increase placed at P2.00 to P2.50 looms on the horizon for Cagayan de Oro commuters even as oil prices remain unstable.
On Wednesday, National Transport Union (NTU) member organizations from the cities of Davao, General Santos and Cotabato met here to draft its plan of action to discuss transport issue.
Presided by NTU national coordinator Bren Sayasa, the group, with affiliate Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), discussed the assessment of the recent transport strike, the oil deregulation law, Value Added Tax (VAT) and the fare rate increase.
But central to the NTU member organizations' forum is the pending fare hike, which Transport Federation Of Cagagayan de Oro (Trafeco) president Virgilio Valmoria said he is hesitant to support.
This after Valmoria confirmed that a new fare increase is in the offing. The fare rate would be decided by transport groups during the national transport summit in May 4.
"It's inevitable," Valmoria said.
The Trafeco chairman said the fare increase was brought out not by NTU but by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) in a dialogue sometime after the recent transport strike.
"Our main agenda is the abolition of the oil deregulation law, the non-inclusion of oil products in the Value Added Tax law (VAT) and wage increase," Valmoria added.
"The said demands are impossible, government authorities said, so they offered us the fare increase," Valmoria said.
But Valmoria said they will still consult city residents after the increase is implemented.
"We are bracing for negative public reaction," he said, adding that transport groups are anticipating from their passengers.
He said Trafeco will launch an information drive to explain to the public on the fare rate increase.
The Labor Day observance will also be participated by NTU affiliate members, including Trafeco. Valomoria however refused to confirm if they will stage transport strike on May 1. "It's tentative. But we are sure we will be in the streets this May 1," the Trafeco chair said.
(April 28, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
|
