Sunday, December 21, 2008 LTFRB told to strictly implement new fare By Ian Ocampo Flora
GUAGUA -- A week after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) implemented its new fare rollback, commuters here and in other parts of the province are calling on the agency to strictly implement the posting of "new fare guides" inside jeepneys.
Commuters are complaining that some jeepney drivers and operators still do not have the new fare guides as mandated by the LTFRB.
The fare guides contain the amended fares for public utility vehicles (PUVs) and serve as guides to commuters in paying their transportation fares.
Because of the series of cuts in oil prices, the LTFRB has ordered the lowering down of the minimum jeepney fare to P7.50 for the first four kilometers after dialog with the LTFRB and other stakeholders.
However, commuters here are saying that despite the repeated call by the LTFRB to operators and drivers to secure their fare guides, many still traverse their daily routes without the said document.
Worse, some drivers are not even following the approved fare rollback of P.50 for the first four kilometers.
"Some of the drivers seem offended when we insist on the P7.50 fare. Others would only follow the P7.50 fare if they are reminded by the passengers," said Ceferino de Mesa, of Barangay, San Matias here.
This was the similar experience of University of the Assumption student Carl David. He said one driver argued that since there was no available fare guide "they are not yet required" to implement the fare roll back.
Rolando Simbulan, a jeepney driver, said their operators have not fully secured the fare guides from the LTFRB.
As for his fellow drivers along the routes of Guagua going to the City of San Fernando, they have been implementing the fare roll back even without the fare guides.
"For our part, we have been charging passengers P7.50 for the first four kilometers," Simbulan said.
On Friday, LTFRB Regional Director Robert Peig said penalties await drivers who refuse to adhere by the fare roll back order, with or without fare guides.
"The fare guides are merely there to facilitate the fare roll back and to avoid confusion," Peig said.
Peig said some 10,0000 of the 27,000 drivers and operators in the province have yet to fully comply with securing their respective fair guides.
"However, drivers must follow the new fare roll back while waiting for their fare guides," he added.
He said commuters may report incidents of drivers refusing to abide by the fare roll back to the LTFRB regional office in Barangay Maimpis, City of San Fernando.
