Mandaue City tricycles charge P8 fare

MORE than a month after it was approved, tricycle drivers in Mandaue City charged P8 for fare, a P1.50 increase from their previous P6.50, starting yesterday.

The new fare rate made most drivers happy and disappointed passengers.

Fidel Bwante, a tricycle driver from  barangay Alang-Alang in Mandaue City, said the fare increase was a big help due to the rise in fuel prices.

From P200 a day, Bwante said he expects his daily earnings to increase enough to support his family.

A city ordinance setting  tricycle fare at P6.50 was amended following a petition from tricycle drivers last Aug. 11.

Bwante said some of his fellow tricycle drivers stopped driving altogether and found work  in  shops and  other establishments.

Under the amended ordinance, passengers pay P8 for three kilometers of travel and an additional P1 for every succeeding kilometer.

Senior citizens, students and persons with disabilities will have a P1 discount.

While the council said there was no opposition to the fare rate increase, some city residents like  Joy Aniñon said they weren’t informed about the increase.

“The public wasn’t informed of the fare increase. Printing the information in the local dailies is not enough for the people to know about it,” said Aniñon, a resident of M.L. Quezon Street, barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City.

Despite this, Aniñon, a nurse, said she was  resigned to paying the new P8 fare  since she can’t do anything about it. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos