Jeepney group seeks 50¢ fare hike

A group of jeepney drivers and operators formally asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) yesterday to increase the minimum transport fare by 50 centavos, to P4.50.

In a three-page petition, the Philippine Confederation of Drivers’ Organizations-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (PCDO-ACTO) said the minimum P4 fare must be adjusted because vehicle operation and maintenance costs have also been increasing.

"We are not only faced with the rising prices of fuel and spare parts but with the increasing taxes imposed on motor vehicles as well. The government also has so many programs that require us to spend more," said PCDO-ACTO president Efren de Luna.

De Luna was referring to the implementation of the Seat Belt Law and the Clean Air Act which require operators to buy seatbelts and anti-pollution devices.

"Aside from these, there is also the ‘color-coding’ program of the government which forces us not to ply our route once a week. This means lesser income for us," he said.

He also complained the increase in vehicle registration fees and traffic fines also contributes to the hardship of jeepney drivers and operators.

The 150,000-strong PCDO-ACTO has estimated that each jeepney driver is now losing P15 in daily income because of the recent 50-centavo increase in fuel prices.

On the average, each driver consumers some 30 liters of diesel a day, he said.

PCDO-ACTO records show that over the past two years, the price of diesel has doubled, or from P7.68 per liter to the current P14.35 per liter.

But the LTFRB, tasked with approving fare rate hikes, has not announced when PCDO-ACTO’s petition will be considered in relation to the positions of consumer and transport groups.