Saturday, July 12, 2008 Editorials: Losing by default
THAT not a squeak is heard from passengers about the recent increases in the minimum fare of public utility vehicles does not mean they are happy with the decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).
It’s the same thing with the recent transport strike initiated by the Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo: that school administrators cancelled classes and commuters did not protest does not mean they approve of the act.
While the consensus is that there is a need to adjust the minimum fare because of the series of oil price hikes, how big the increase is another point altogether.
Lack of voice
What seems to work against passengers when fare hikes are discussed is that, unlike drivers and operators that have a number of organizations and federations nationwide, consumers groups are virtually non-existent.
The only voice consistently standing up for the passengers in Cebu is that of former LTFRB director Manuel Iway, which is unfortunate considering the sectors that should have been involved, like the ordinary wage earners, students, etc.
The jump of the minimum fare from P6 to P8 in less than two months in Central Visayas is mainly the result of transport groups either making a noise about their demands or launching mass actions to deliver a point.
LTFRB and even the National Economic Development Authority that pegged the fare hike may claim objectivity in the study they made prior to issuing the order but the pressure to appease the transport groups was there.
Excesses
It would be wrong, of course, to flog transport groups for doing what they did because pushing for the interest of drivers and operators is their reason for being.
The fault is with the sectors now feeling the brunt of the fare hikes for failing to protect their interest, especially in the matter of reining in the transport groups.
Iway has raised some valid arguments, from failure of drivers to honor the mandated discounts for students and senior citizens to the error in granting P10 increase in fare for Metro Cebu taxis.
More excesses could have been uncovered had concerned sectors formed a lobby group that scrutinizes every fare hike demand of transport groups and aggressively defends the interest of commuters.
