No date yet for public hearing on fair hike proposal

CEBU, Philippines —  The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 has not scheduled any date for the public hearing on the fare hike petition filed by various transport groups.

LTFRB-7 director Eduardo Montealto, Jr. said yesterday that they have not scheduled the public hearing yet as they are still waiting for the petitioners to submit some of the lacking documents.

"Twice nagtawag mi, okay daw pero walay niabot. Nagpadala nalang mi og formal letter,” Montealto told The Freeman.

It can be recalled that Cebu Integrated Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO MPC), together with Partylist 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK), Visayas United Drivers Tranport and Multi-Purpose Cooperative (VUDTRASCO), Mactan Lapu-Lapu Mandaue Transport Cooperative (MLMTC), Talisay Minglanilla Naga San Fernando Carcar Transport Cooperative (TMNSCTC), Mandaue Sabang Danao Multicab Operators and Drivers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MASADAMOD MPC) and Mauswagon Transport Cooperative, filed the P2.00 provisional fare hike for jeepney’s minimum fare early this month.

The current jeepney fare in Region 7 is P9 for the first four kilometers and P1 for each succeeding kilometer.

Another hike

This developed as another bigtime increase in fuel prices is expected today, June 21, 2022.

Meanwhile, LTFRB-7 is extending the Service Contracting Program Phase 3's Libreng Sakay for selected provincial buses until June 26, 2022.

The provincial buses have started their Libreng Sakay operations on June 18, 2022 and have deployed two units per route.

It said that the Libreng Sakay is available on weekends from Friday to Sunday until June 26, 2022

The following are the list of provincial routes that will be extended under Region 7's Service Contracting Program — Libreng Sakay:

For Cebu North: Cebu City - Bogo and vice versa, Tabogon to North Bus Terminal and vice versa and Tuburan to North Bus Terminal and vice versa.

For Cebu South: SRP - IT Park, Cebu City - Alcoy, Cebu City - Moalboal, Cebu City - Pinamungahan, and Cebu City - Balamban via Toledo

For Negros Oriental: Dumaguete City - Bayawan vice versa, Dumaguete City - Jimalalud and Dumaguete City - Mabinay vice versa.

For Bohol: Tagbilaran City - Panglao Airport via Dauis, Lourdes-Tawala-Danao-Panglao Municipal hall, Tagbilaran City - San Jose, Talibon via Tubigon

-Tagbilaran City - Talibon via Balilihan-Carmen, and Tagbilaran City - Mabini vice versa.

   LTFRB-7 said that has continued the Libreng Sakay of the Provincial Public Utility Buses due to the huge passenger demand in these routes. – JMD (FREEMAN)