Saturday, July 12, 2008 LTFRB opens tomorrow so operators can secure matrices, collect P8 by Monday
THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) can start issuing the fare documents to operators of more than 11,000 public utility jeepneys in Central Visayas tomorrow.
LTFRB 7 Director Romulo Bernardes said his office is scheduled to start the issuance of the fare matrices today, but they are still preparing them because LTFRB Chairman Thompson Lantion wants the matrices to be color-coded—green for the Visayas, yellow for Luzon and red for Mindanao.
Bernardes hopes that most operators can secure tariff matrix tomorrow so they can start collecting the new minimum fare of P8 by Monday.
Rule
“We maintain that those who will have no tariff matrix cannot collect the new fare rate,” he said.
Bernardes believed that it will be okay for the operators to pay the P500 per matrix, as mandated by law, because fees were waived when the P0.50 provisional fare increases were implemented last May 21 and June 30.
The tariff matrix that will be issued at the LTFRB 7 tomorrow will be available to operators from Cebu, Bohol, Oriental Negros and Siquijor.
To bring the services to the island provinces in Central Visayas, Bernardes said he will send personnel on Monday to Tagbilaran City, Siquijor and Dumaguete City to continue issuing the matrix.
Bernardes said that his office will also implement the 20 percent taxi fare discounts to senior citizens and students because it is mandated by law.
However, Richard Cabucos, chairman of the Metro Cebu Taxi Operators Association said that while they will abide by the law, the LTFRB must qualify those who will be given discounts.
“If there are two senior citizens and two adults below 60 years old boarding a taxi, are we obliged to give discounts? If there are students who board a taxi with their parents who are not senior citizens, is the taxi driver liable if he doesn’t give a discount? That’s an issue to be resolved first,” Cabucos said.
Based on records, there are 632 taxi units running in Central Visayas, mostly operating in Cebu.
Meanwhile, former LTFRB director Manuel Iway said he will file his petition to convince the LTFRB en banc to amend its decision that the P10 increase should only apply only to gasoline-feed engine and not those using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
He said that he can understand an increase to gasoline-feed engine because the price of gasoline is almost P60 per liter. The price of LPG remains at P34.75 per liter. (EOB)
