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Friday, April 02, 2004
Fare adjustment deceptive: Piston
"DECEPTIVE."
That is how the Pinag-isang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston)-Panay described the P.575 fare rate adjustment approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to deter the nationwide strike planned by the transport sector last Tuesday.
"The scheme is deceptive. The government is making an impression that it has given in to the demands of the transport sector thus there is no need to stage a protest action," Roberto Abellon Jr., chairman of Piston-Panay, said in a statement.
He said the drivers and their families have been suffering a series of oil price increases since the last fare increase three years ago. This was worsened by the sky rocketing prices of basic commodities.
"If not for this, they wouldn't have demanded an increase in minimum fare. Now, the government is giving us crumbs as (an) option. Only provincial transport can benefit from these crumbs, which is not only deceptive but also divisive," Abellon said. "The government's decision will only divide the ranks of the transport sectors."
Piston-Panay has a pending petition for a one-peso fare rate increase before the LTFRB regional office in Iloilo City.
The fare increase was among the three points agreed upon by the government and the transport groups in a meeting in Malacañang Monday afternoon to avert the nationwide transport strike Tuesday.
Once the adjustment takes effect, the minimum fare would already be P4 for the first four kilometers, according to LTFRB regional director Porfirio Clavel. At present, P4 is charged for the first five kilometers.
For the succeeding kilometers, an additional of .575 or 60 centavos would be charged per kilometer, Clavel added.
Successful
Although the Iloilo transport sector did not join the nationwide transport strike, Abellon said the protest action was still "successful."
Drivers and operators in Bacolod, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Metro Manila joined the synchronized transport strike.
Twenty-two transport groups led by Piston-Aklan also joined the strike. In Iloilo City, Piston-Panay staged a caravan to show solidarity with their counterparts in other cities.
"We are one with our fellow transport sectors in Luzon in demanding for a rollback of oil prices and a P1 increase in the minimum fare," Abellon said. "We are also calling for the government to scrap the Oil Deregulation Law and nationalize the oil industry. This only through this that we can put an end to the series of increases in oil prices." JDB
(April 1, 2004 issue)
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