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Tuesday, June 21, 2005
P1 fare hike on but new matrix needed
CEBU CITY -- The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) announced Monday that the new fare for jeepneys and buses will take effect Tuesday.
But LTFRB Chairperson Ma. Elena Bautista said jeepney and bus drivers can only collect the additional P1 to P2 fare if they post the new fare matrix inside their vehicles.
The regional office of the LTFRB is still waiting for the original order to implement the P1 increase in jeepney fare it ordered for Central Visayas.
LTFRB 7 Legal Officer Jose Douglas Sanson said Cebu drivers cannot collect yet the P1 increase in jeepney fare it ordered for Central Visayas.
Lawyer Manuel Iway, former LTFRB director, has urged Bautista to resign "for always siding with the operators without considering its impact to the lives of the commuters."
With the effectivity of the new fare rates, the LTFRB rejected a petition filed by a consumers' group to reconsider its decision to increase fare rates at such an amount because it was "too high" and was approved without public consultation.
The fare increase was approved on May 9 and was set to take effect last May 26 but the LTFRB decided to defer its implementation because of the petition.
Bautista assured that the fare increase will be the only one to be granted this year and that it will help public transport drivers cope with the rising prices of oil and spare parts.
She urged commuters to report to the LTFRB jeepney or bus drivers who charge the new fare even without the matrix.
An operator must pay P520 for one case number, or one franchise. If the case number has more units, the operator will have to pay P50 per additional unit.
The LTFRB also maintained the 20 percent discount for senior citizens and students in jeepney and ordinary bus fares.
Souie Mercado, chairman of the Association of Cebu Consumers said the family budget of ordinary workers will surely be affected once the fare increase is implemented.
For his part, Iway said he filed a motion to defer the increase because there was no ground to increase the fare and there was no petition from any operator.
But LTFRB Board Member Felix Racadio told him that an operator filed a petition for increase, but Racadio failed to identify who it was, Iway said.
"I asked Racadio why they proceeded with the increase when there was no hearing yet on my motion to defer the increase. Racadio told me that my motion was included in the hearing conducted in Manila," Iway said.
Iway said Racadio explained to him that the LTFRB en banc corrected the earlier order by fixing the minimum fare at P6 for the first five kilometers, instead of four kilometers.
Last month, LTFRB 7 Director Rogelio Osmeña said he will not implement any fare increase in Cebu because this will be an added burden to the commuters especially the workers.
However, Osmeña backed out after Bautista scolded him in a long distance call while Bautista was on vacation in the United States. (EOB of Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(June 21, 2005 issue)
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