Friday, October 12, 2007 City plans to increase terminal fees at Ecoland
TERMINAL and rental fees at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (Dcott) are expected to increase from 100-500 percent should the Davao City Council approve the review and amendment of City Ordinance 110, which established Dcott.
The review was proposed by Councilor Pilar Braga, chair of the City Council committee on energy, transportation and communication, who saw it fit to upgrade the rates that had remained unchanged since 1986.
In a proposal submitted by terminal manager Magno Adalin Jr. to the City Economic Enterprises, the terminal fee set at P25 per trip will increase to P50 per trip. The rate is for large buses with routes outside the city limits.
Small buses and L300 vans will pay P15 per trip from the current rate of P2.50.
CEE chief Francisco Vales Jr. said the new fees are quite reasonable considering the bus companies have enjoyed the same rate for 21 years.
"In our neighboring cities, a fee of P50 per trip is charged even just to load passenger at their terminals for a few minutes," Vales said.
Vales added that they have held informal consultations with bus operators and the groups have agreed to the proposed increase.
Rental fees for stalls (eateries, fastfood) will increase from P10 per day regardless of stall size to P6.00/sq. meter per day with a minimum stall size of 20 sq. meters. This will total to about P120 per day in rental fees.
According to Vales, these charges would possibly earn the city P10.8 million in 2008.
In 2006, Dcott earned P9.9 million. As of August 2007, Dcott has earned P6.29 million. (GLP)
