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Sunday, September 11, 2005
Transport group confirms strike; Bachelor Bus to implement hike
By Stephen Capillas and Ben Serrano
A TRANSPORT coalition which numbers 23 organizations in its ranks said Friday it will hold a transport strike this coming Monday to coincide with the Catholic Church's call for a National Day of Prayer and Reconciliation.
In a media briefing the Solidarity Transport Alliance-10 (Starex) said aside from the impending expanded Value-Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products, the transport strike also dramatizes their condemnation of the termination of the impeachment proceedings against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
As this developed Mindanao's biggest bus firm, Bachelor Bus Express said it would impose a fare rate increase in almost all routes it plies in Northeastern Mindanao particularly here in Caraga Region.
Starex Secretary General Armando Naul said they urged Transport Federation of Cagayan de Oro (Trafeco) President Virgilio Valmoria to join the protest but the latter said they'd meet with their Manila counterparts before making the move.
"We are pushing through with the protest despite this and we have member organizations throughout Northern Mindanao that are aligned with transport group Piston for the nationwide transport strike," Naul said.
He added their Starex group also includes those from the cities of Valencia and Malaybalay and Quezon City headed by Rolando Garcia.
"In our protest we are not asking for a new fare increase because we know the consumers are already overburdened so we are asking that their salaries be raised anew," Naul added in Visayan.
Disputes
Meanwhile, Bachelor Bus firm Operations Manager Rudy Macasa told Sun.Star that commuters from Cagayan de Oro to Butuan City and vice versa will have to pay P280 on aircon buses effective September 16 from its present P230.00.
"Commuters of same route non-aircon or regular buses had to shell out P260.00 by September 16 instead of current P200.00," Macasa said.
Among other routes, the bus firm had to implement fare increase by September 16 on the following routes: Butuan City to Mangagoy, Bislig City or vice versa, Butuan to Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Butuan to Davao City or vice versa.
Pending implementation for fare rate increases are the routes for Surigao City to Butuan City or vice versa.
Macasa said higher fare rates were already implemented on other routes plied by their bus firm following the latest decision by the regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on the latest round of fare hikes.
The increases were meant to cushion the impact of the latest increase of petroleum prices.
Transportation and Communications-Caraga Regional Director, Alim Pangandaman confirmed that the Bachelor Bus's recent decision was based on the LTFRB ruling.
"However, we advised said bus company to secure individually original not photocopied or xerox fare matrix from our office to be posted in each of their buses in order that their fare increase will be considered legal," Pangandaman said.
Last year, disputes between bus collectors and passengers ensued because some bus units only had photocopied instead of original fare matrices as required by the LTFRB.
The LTFRB collects revenues through application fees from bus companies or jeepney operators asking for fare matrices.
The management of Bachelor Express, Inc. admitted they have no choice but to implement fare rate increase because of increasing operational costs aggravated by the spiraling oil price increases.
Consumers groups earlier warned that the fare increases would eventually discourage travel among people and thus burden an already debilitating public transport sector which may result in closures or workers' layoffs among bus firms.
(September 10, 2005 issue)
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