Group wants basic jeepney fare back to P8.50
A transport group on Wednesday asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to bring back the P8.50 minimum fare for passenger jeepneys, citing rising oil prices.
“[Rep. Manuel Iway] only asked for a 50-centavo reduction but we agreed to the P1 reduction as a Christmas gift for commuters,” said Efren de Luna, president of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization which filed the petition for a provisional fare increase. “But now we’re at the losing end what with increasing oil prices.”
The LTFRB ordered a provisional P1 jeepney fare rollback on Dec. 11, setting the fare for the first four kilometers at P7.50 in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Calabarzon region.
The move was in response to a petition filed in the House of Representatives by Iway for a 50-centavo fare rollback in time for Christmas.
“We are appealing to commuters for a win-win solution, for a compromise. We also have children to take care of,” De Luna said.
He noted that the LTFRB based the last rollback solely on oil prices which at the time were going down.
“Right now, petroleum prices are at P32 per liter but once it reaches P35, we will also file a petition asking that [minimum PUJ fares] be set to at most P10,” he added.
