AN OFFICIAL of the City Government reminds residents not to pay the new fare increase to motorela drivers who cannot present the fare matrix which should be placed inside their units.

City Administrator Teddy Sabuga-a said the distribution of the authenticated copy of the fare matrix to motorela operators is now 60 percent complete. The city, he said, wished to complete the distribution to all 2,000 motorelas in the city.

To intensify the information drive, Sabuga-a said they are meeting with motorela operators this week to spread the word that a new fare matrix is already available at the City Hall.

“I am reminding the passengers that they can assert not to pay the regular P7 fare because motorela drivers have no right to collect the new fare without the fare matrix posted in each of their vehicles,” he said.

The new matrix has a unique seal at its left bottom to avoid replication, he said, adding that only the City Government is authorized to reproduce the fare matrix.

He also urged the passengers to report to authorities those motorela units without the new matrix by month-end, saying they could be “colorum” units or those illegal motorela operating without permit issued by the City Government.

“We will not be announcing when but as soon as we are finished with the distribution of the matrix, we will conduct an operation against these colorum motorela units,” he added.

Effective June 18, the privilege fair matrix of motorelas in Cagayan de Oro shall be automatically be fixed based on the prevailing local pump prices of gasoline. If gasoline price hits P55 to P65/liter, motorela drivers are allowed to collect P8 for regular passengers, P6.50 for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, and P5 for elementary pupils.

If the gasoline price however is at P39.01 to P55, the regular fare is P7, P5.50 for students, seniors, and PWDs (persons with disabilities), and P5 for elementary pupils.

Motorelas are allowed to collect the regular P6 fare if gasoline price is at P25.01 to P39, P5 for students, senior, and PWDs, and P3 for elementary pupils. But if gas price is only at P11-25 per liter, P5 will be the regular, P4 for students, seniors, and PWDs, and P3 for the elementary pupils.