Thursday, November 15, 2007 Transport groups won’t raise fares
ENERGY Secretary Angelo Reyes said the government would be able to outline possible measures that would mitigate and cushion the impact of the rising fuel prices.
Reyes, head of the steering committee created to alleviate the effects of oil, said they will chart their possible course of action to stop “kotong” and operations of colorum vehicles in Metro Manila as demanded by various transport groups.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last week formed the committee following her meeting with Reyes and transport group representatives in Malacañang.
In a meeting with Reyes, the transport groups represented by lawyer Vigor Mendoza III said they will not raise fares despite the increase in the prices of crude oil in the world market if the government can put a stop to “kotong” and colorum operations.
"Kotong" refers to regular extortion of money allegedly perpetrated by traffic enforcers on public utility vehicle drivers and transport operators, while colorum refers to the illegal operation of buses, jeepneys and other transport vehicles that are not duly licensed as public utility vehicles or are plying routes to which they are not franchised. These practices decrease the legal income of duly licensed and franchised drivers and transport operators.
Aside from Reyes, other members of the committee are Secretaries Leandro Mendoza of the Department of Transportation and Communications, Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Agnes Devanadera of the Department of Justice and Gilberto Teodoro of the Department of National Defense. (MSN/Sunnex)
