Commuter advocacy group OK with P2 jeepney fare hike
(FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Advocates of commuters’ rights in the country said they were supporting the move to increase jeepney fares, but cautioned transport officials not to increase it by more than P2 to lighten the burden on commuters.
Chair Elvira Medina of the National Center for Commuter Safety and Protection told the Inquirer that they were supporting the call from Pasang Masda president Obet Martin for a P2 increase in the minimum fare of public utility jeepneys.
“We are supporting the position of Ka Obet Martin for an additional P2 increase, but we will oppose the proposal of (a) 15-peso minimum fare plus additional fare on succeeding kilometers,” Medina said on Tuesday, adding that an increase in the minimum fare would greatly impact minimum wage earners as the price increase was not considered in the recent wage hike.
The minimum wage in Metro Manila was increased last June by P33, bringing it to P570 and P533 for workers in the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively.
Other wage adjustments were also implemented in 13 other regions in the country, including the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Bicol, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro Occidental and Oriental, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), and Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), among others.
Least burden
Medina also explained that an average Filipino worker takes about three rides going to their place of work, spending about P45 for a one-way trip.
“The impact bites on the stomach on the commuters,” Medina noted.
Primo Morillo, the convener of The Passenger Forum, also shared the same sentiment, saying that they would support measures that would help jeepney drivers to stay afloat amid rising oil prices but these should put the least amount of burden on commuters.
“Two pesos is the lowest increase we’ve seen in the petition. If that is the lowest and they will not ask for more in the succeeding kilometers, then that is the lightest burden we see that can be passed on to commuters,” Morillo told the Inquirer in Filipino.
“Due to tough times, amid economic problems, and with the value of the peso falling, there are many commuters who understand the need to increase (jeepney fares),” Morillo added, pointing out that not increasing the fare could lead to fewer jeepneys on the streets, and thus more problems for commuters.
Morillo also urged the government to also address the seeming lack of public utility jeepneys due to the increased transportation demand following the return of in-person classes in public and private schools.
“And it’s not just that there is a simple lack of (jeepney) units. There also seems to be a lack in the number of routes (that jeepneys are plying),” he said.
Reasonable, balanced hike
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Monday announced that another round of jeepney fare hikes was due by September, saying it was preparing to decide on a petition by drivers’ groups to raise anew the minimum fare after the P1 increases to P10 in June and to P11 in July.
LTFRB Chair Cheloy Garafil said the regulator would decide on a “reasonable and balanced fare hike” by the first week of September at the soonest.
“This is just a question of how much we’re able to give without causing a huge impact on inflation and on the purchasing power of commuters who would bear the brunt of the fare hikes,” she said.
Garafil cited a study by the National Economic and Development Authority which the LTFRB used earlier to grant the provisional jeepney fare increase last July, as she also noted the inflationary effect even of a P1 increase in transport fares.
The agency said it was deliberating on the remaining P2 to P3 from the proposed fare hike originally sought by jeepney drivers of P5 to P6.
“My personal take is that we need to recognize the conditions of our jeepney drivers and that there is really a need to increase the fares,” she said.
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