Wednesday, May 28, 2008 Speak out: P0.50 fare hike is not enough By Pedro Cervantes Abello Cubacub, Mandaue City
THE provisional fare hike of P0.50 for PUJs is relatively low and is hard to implement by drivers in Cebu.
On the first day, our drivers complained that they had a hard time implementing it due to lack of loose change.
Passengers and drivers don’t have enough P0.25 centavo coins (no P0.50 coin is in circulation).
In Metro Cebu, because of loose change problem, minimum fare is still practically P6, unlike in Metro Manila where the P8 fare (from P7.50) can easily be collected.
Too low
Besides the loose change problem, the amount is far below what is needed to cover the losses of both drivers and operators due to increasing costs of fuel, price of spare parts and other maintenance costs.
Increase of fuel cost for the past six months is already about P10 per liter.
For every 25 liters the drivers consume per day, they are incurring additional cost of P25 per day versus the demanded P150 increase in daily income of workers.
(The computation is based on average PUJ seating capacity of 22, eight round trips a day for short-distance routes and 80 percent jeepney occupancy rate).
The P0.50 fare hike is not even enough for the drivers.
But more than the drivers, operators badly need the increase to place our nose above the water to survive.
The provisional increase is an “under-dose drug prescription” for a dying patient.
I am a small-time PUJ operator with only few units but I have already 18 years of experience since I started in 1990.
For almost two decades (although the bottom-line figures of PUJ operation has been tight) I was able to survive all crises.
Recently, the burden of rising fuel and other maintenance costs is almost unbearable.
Control
We need government and public support to survive.
It is unfortunate to note that instead of supporting us, government is overacting in regulating PUJ fares.
What has been hitting us operators and drivers are mostly uncontrollable, yet government is controlling us and tying up our arms, preventing us from getting even.
In other transport sectors, government is lax in regulating fares.
I have in my position used airline tickets to show that airline fares move up and down freely.
Last August 2007, one of my student-children went to Manila paying a round trip ticket of only P2,800 or P1,400 per trip.
In late December of the same year, another child of mine, who is working Manila, spent her Christmas and New Year vacation in Cebu, paying P9,800 for round trip ticket or P4,900 per one way trip.
Again, a month ago, I and members of my family traveled for a vacation in Palawan paying a round trip ticket of only P4,500 or P2,250 per trip.
Less that a week ago, a doctor from Puerto Princesa, Palawan spent P4,500 for one way plane fare.
In addition, it is worth noting that a sister of mine in Reno, Nevada, USA told me recently that minimum bus fares for short distance travel there is now $2.25 or an equivalent to P92 more or less.
Support
It is a fact that PUJs play a major role as livelihood partner of majority of the people.
Without PUJs, alternative travel cost will be expensive.
Supporting PUJs should not therefore be a one-sided effort by operators and drivers only.
A stable and affordable public transport service will benefit more the riding public.
