Tricycle drivers continue to defy P7 minimum fare

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — The City Council warned tricycle drivers that their provision authority will be recalled if they continue to collect P7 in minimum fare, in defiance of the P8 rate set by the local government.

The reduced minimum fare of  P7 for tricycles-for-hire had been effective for about 12 days already, yet drivers continued to collect P8, as drivers cited the high prices of basic commodities, despite the reduction of prices of petroleum products.

Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso said leaders of the organizations of tricycle drivers in the city were invited yesterday to tackle the complaints of the commuters over the continuing practice of collecting P8, instead of P7,  in minimum fare.

Councilor Jerry Pabe, chairman of the committee on public utilities, raised the concerns of the riding public and then joined his colleagues’ warning that it would be better to revert to the last official minimum fare set at P6 in the year 2005.

The drivers have been given the provisional authority to collect P2 more, making the minimum fare at P8 when the prices of gasoline soared high. But recently, the Council approved a resolution revising the provisional authority in which tricycle drivers can only collect the minimum fare of P7. — (FREEMAN)