Piston hits gov’t for making commuters a ‘scapegoat’ with P1 fare hike

PISTON president George San Mateo at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City. (File Photo by NOY MOSCOSO / INQUIRER.net)

The government has made Filipino commuters a “scapegoat” when it approved a P1-jeepney fare increase, a transport group leader said Thursday.

George San Mateo, president of the Pinagkaisahang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), said that instead of listening to their suggestions on how to deal with the rising fuel prices, the government has forced commuters to shoulder the burden thru the fare hike.

“‘Yung problema dito sa mataas na presyo ng petrolyo, ipinasa ng pamahalaan sa ating mga mahihirap na mananakay,” San Mateo told Radyo Inquirer on Thursday.

(The problem with this high fuel prices was passed on to our poor commuters by this government.)

“(Nakakalungkot) kasi ginawang scapegoat ‘yung ating mga kakabayan,” he added.

(It’s sad because our fellowmen were made as scapegoat.)

The Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved a provisional jeepney fare hike of P1, increasing the minimum fare from P8 to P9.

According to San Mateo, what they suggested to address the rising fuel prices was for the government to suspend the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law in order to lower the price of diesel and not resort to a fare increase.

“Eh ang problema ayaw pakinggan ‘yan ng gobyerno. Ang dami namang pwedeng solusyon. Isa nga diyan eh suspindehin ang pagpapatupad ng TRAIN law. Eto talaga ang nakakapagpahirap sa taong bayan, sa mga operator at driver,” he said.

(The problem is the government doesn’t want to listen. There are a lot of posible solutions. One is to suspend the implementation of TRAIN law. This is what really saddles the public, the operators and drivers.)

San Mateo said commuters should not blame jeepney drivers for the fare hike.

“Sa mga kababayan natin, ‘wag tayong magalit sa mga jeepney drivers. ‘Yung patakaran ng pamahalaan, ‘yun ang puntiryahin natin,” he said.

(To our countrymen, let’s not blame the jeepney drivers. The policies of the government, that’s what we should object.)                                  /kga