Sunday, July 20, 2008 2-day strike planned; higher fare pushed to cushion impact of hike in diesel price
BARELY three weeks after holding a transport strike, the Nagkahiusang Drivers sa Sugbo (Nadsu) is planning to stage another one, this time for two days, to protest the continuing increase in fuel prices.
Nadsu secretary general Ruben Rama said they want to pressure the government to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law and to suspend implementing the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) on petroleum products.
Heed demands
He said the government should heed their demand so it can help the transport sector, which is badly affected by the fuel crisis.
He said that even if the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) recently increased minimum fare from P6 to P8 in Central Visayas, the difference has been eroded by the latest increase in pump prices.
New rates
Petron Corporation, Caltex Philippines, and Pilipinas Shell have raised the price of diesel by P3 per liter and gasoline by P1.50 per liter, starting yesterday.
Diesel, which is now P59.76 per liter, fuels most public utility vehicles nationwide.
Rama also told radio dyLA yesterday that right after minimum fare was adjusted with the issuance of fare matrices starting July 14, jeepney operators also immediately increased rental by P50 to P100.
In his case, he said, he is now paying P550 a day instead of just P500 for the unit plying the Colon St.-B. Rodriguez St. route he is driving.
There were even operators, he said, who raised their rates from P600 to P700.
High cost
Rama said public utility jeepney owners argued that aside from high cost of maintenance, lubricants, and spare parts and tires, they paid P520 per matrix, which is issued per unit.
He, however, said that they are still in the “planning stage” of the proposed two-day strike and have yet to meet with leaders of the other transport organizations.
Roy Opura, Nadsu chairman for northbound jeepneys, said the increase in minimum fare has no effect because diesel price have also increased, the latest round of which was the P3 per liter implemented yesterday.
He, too, said it is now time for the government to do away with the Oil Deregulation Law so multi-national oil companies cannot immediately raise fuel prices without a public hearing.
“The administration of President Gloria Arroyo must also abolish the E-VAT on fuel so the price will automatically go down,” he said.
No plans
But Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, who was in Cebu the other day for a Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) 2008-2030 public consultation, said the government cannot take out the E-VAT on fuel because revenue derived from it is used to deliver basic services.
On the other hand, Cebu Integrated Transport Service Cooperative (Citrasco) general manager Ryan Benjamin Yu said they have no plans to ask for another fare increase because it will hurt the riding public.
He said that most commuters are workers who did not even get any wage increase.
Instead, Citrasco is seeking alternatives from the government, like subsidies for drivers and conversion to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is cheaper as fuel.
He also reminded the Arroyo administration of the promise to provide livelihood to drivers’ dependents. (EOB)
