Lower taxi fare?
CEBU, Philippines - Negros Oriental first district Representative Manuel Iway yesterday said he was optimistic his request for taxi fare reduction would be granted next week following a hearing at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Manila.
He had asked for the permanent calibration of the P10 decrease in all taxi’s flagdown rate (P40 to P30) to avoid confusion and arguments between passengers and drivers, and for a P1 reduction in every succeeding 300 meters rate from P3.50 to P2.50.
“It seems that LTFRB will rule on my favor,” said Iway in an interview after the hearing.
Meanwhile, Iway also said that with the 50-cent reduction in public utility jeepney’s minimum fare to P6.50 starting last Monday, he was no longer optimistic that LTFRB would grant his other request for a P1 decrease in the PUJ minimum fare.
“Tan-aw nako, ipadaplin na lang na sa LTFRB. Di na tingali na nila aprubahan ang additional reduction sa minimum fare,” he said.
He said, though, that the LTFRB board members may consider another petition to instead lower the succeeding kilometer rate after the first five kilometers (which is the minimum travel distance for the minimum fare) by P.25, or from P.95 to P.60.
“I can only hope nga i-grant ni sa LTFRB. But we will see unsa ilang decision,” said Iway.
As to the implementation of the new P6.50 minimum fare starting the other day, it was observed that jeepney drivers do not give the exact change to passengers.
If one pays P10, the drivers gave passengers a change of P3 instead of P3.50. As to the student and senior citizens’ 20 percent discount, though, the drivers collect P5 instead of P5.20.
Transport group CITRASCO chairman Ryan Benjamin Yu, who owns 200 PUJs, said finding P.25 coins is really a problem.
“Bungkig man gud ang pletehan. Mas maayo nga ang pasahero mag andam gyud sila og tag P.25 sad. Kay kasagaran ang mga pasahero bisan maglagot sila kay wa sila sukli-i og tarong, di na moreklamo sa LTFRB kay hasul na. Maayo unta mo reklamo gyud sila sa LTFRB para matagam gyud ang mga drivers,” he said. — (FREEMAN)
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