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Thursday, May 18, 2006
Public transport fares up by 200 to 300%
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
FARE rates for affected public utility jeepney (PUJ) routes that are forced to take the Taguanao-Balulang Bridge are now multiplied by a whooping 200 to 300 percent from their standing regular rates.
This was the announcement made Wednesday by Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) regional director Mandangan Darimbang in response to the clamor made by PUJ drivers who have to take this longer route while the Carmen Bridge is still under repair.
Darimbang is also asking commuters not to pay the increased fare rates should the PUJ driver or operator failed to post their new fare matrices.
But City Councilor Alvin Calingin said the increase in the fare rates is the fault of the City Government of Cagayan de Oro and is thus unfair to the public while City Councilor Alexander Dacer believes that there was no need to implement such a temporary measure.
Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) traffic czar Ramon Tabor said they are not objecting to this latest development.
Darimbang said the fare rates of PUJs plying the Taguanao-Balulang, Macanhan, Xavier Heights, Zayas, Canitoan and Landfill areas have now been increased by 200 to 300 percent.
He cited how the regular fare of P8.50 per passenger commuting from Balulang to Cogon Public Market is now hiked to P26.50 while the regular fare of P10.50 per passenger commuting from Xavier Heights to Cogon Public Market is now been adjusted to P17.00 per passenger.
Also, PUJ routes plying the Grand Europa to Cogon Public Market is adjusted from P11.50 to P17.00 per passenger.
"This is double or even triple the regular fare rate but this is merely adjusted rates and temporary only until the normal flow of our traffic is brought back," he told Sun.Star Wednesday.
Earlier, affected PUJ drivers issued statements that their daily earnings have drastically dived considering that they have to take a longer route using the Taguanao-Balulang Bridge and thus, consume more fuel that they usually do.
Nevertheless, Darimbang is calling on the public not to pay these adjusted fare rates unless the PUJ driver has a fare matrix posted within his unit.
He said the fare matrix has long been distributed last Friday at P50.00 each.
"So, if the jeepney driver does not have a fare matrix then the passenger should not pay the adjusted fees but only the regular rates," he said.
He added that these adjusted fare rates were a product of "proper consultation" and "on-site road measurement" undertaken by their office and the affected PUJ drivers and operators last week.
But Calingin said this additional burden on the commuting public is not exactly fair.
"Ang i-blame ani ang City Government for lack of contingency plan," he said.
For him, City Hall should have really first worked out in 2000 the Kagayanon Bridge located adjacent to the St. Agustine Metropolitan Cathedral and linking barangays Carmen and Nazareth.
He said because of the wrong decisions made by City Hall under Mayor Vicente Emano, everyone is now suffering.
"It is the City Government who is to blame in this and its leaders and be man enough to admit this," he said.
Calingin said the bridge mess and additional burden on the commuting public is a situation that has "transcended" that of the mere ministerial functions of National Government line agencies here.
"This is the fault of political leaders and they should admit it," he said.
Dacer for his part said increasing the fare rates for affected PUJ routes will really put a lot of local workers at a great disadvantage.
He said this situation will worsen particularly if classes will commence next month.
Dacer is convinced that it is not necessary to hike up the fare rates for affected PUJ routes.
He added that they should just have followed the current standard rates of P6.50 per passenger for the first four kilometers and additional P1.00 for each succeeding kilometer.
Meanwhile, Tabor said, "We are not objecting to this as this is based on the additional kilometers PUJs have to take because of the closure of the Carmen Bridge. This is just temporary. It's fare and just naman."
He added that they could not do much about this fare hike considering that this is under the jurisdiction of the LTFRB-10. (With Richard E. Bitancor/Liceo de Cagayan University intern)
(May 18, 2006 issue)
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