Piston says year-round student fare discount will burden drivers

The decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to impose the 20-percent discount on student fare even on weekends and holidays was part of the government ploy to add burden to the drivers of public utility vehicles, a transport group leader said on Tuesday.

Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) President George San Mateo said that drivers will be the ones who will feel the brunt of this latest decision of the LTFRB.

“Kasi yung mga driver ang maga-absorb nito eh. Yung government naman wala namang absorb dito eh, it’s the ordinary driver na maga-absorb nito. Mararamdaman ng mga driver yung bigat niyan kapag school vacation,” San Mateo said during the sidelines of a news forum.

(It is the driver who will absorb all of this. The government itself will feel nothing of its effects; but the ordinary drivers will. The drivers will feel the burden once school vacation starts.)

San Mateo also asked the LTFRB if there would be a possible “discount, help or subsidy” as well that the government could give to the drivers, who will be affected by the implementation of the LTFRB order.

“Eh di ngayon dahil nandyan ‘yan, hindi naman namin tinututulan. Ang tanong namin ano naman ang pwedeng ibigay ng gobyerno na discount sa mga driver, di ba. Ang ginawa kasi ng LTFRB i-subsidize ng mahirap ang kapwa mahirap (Since it is there, we are not opposing it. Our question is: What discount the government has to give our drivers? What the LTFRB is doing now is making the poor [people] to subsidize their fellow poor [people]),” he added.

He added that the year-round 20-percent student fare discount is also part of the government strategy to pit the students against the PUV drivers.

“Totoo yun, gustong pag-awayin ng gobyerno ang driver at mga estudyante. Of course ‘di namin papatulan yun dahil mga anak namin mga estudyante rin (That’s true, the government wants the drivers and students to clash. Of course will not bite to those kinds of tactic),” San Mateo said.

San Mateo also stressed that instead of passing the burden to the drivers or commuters, the government must shoulder the responsibilities for their people.

On Monday, the LTFRB, said students can avail of the 20 percent discount from Monday to Sunday, including summer breaks, legal and special legal holidays staring October 28.

The memorandum, however, excludes post-graduate students or those taking up medicine, law, masteral and doctoral degrees.

According to LTFRB, this was an amendment to the Memorandum Circular 2005-014, which states that students were not allowed to avail of the 20 percent discount during weekends, legal and special legal holidays, including Christmas and summer breaks. /jpv

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