Commuters are in for an early Christmas treat as jeepney fares are not expected to increase at least until February 2018.
On Tuesday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) rescheduled to February 13 the hearing on the petition for a jeepney fare hike as the transport groups sought more time to collate receipts to prove their claim of higher cost of spare parts.
In September, five transport groups led by Pasang Masda has filed with the LTFRB a petition seeking a P2-increase on the base fare for jeepneys. The groups said that the increase was meant to help drivers and operators cope with the rising cost of fuel and spare parts.
At the time of their petition, the groups noted that the price of diesel rose by more than P2 per liter, while the cost of spare parts increased by at least P300.
While it is already the second time that the board reset the hearing for the fare hike, LTFRB Chair Martin Delgra III saw a silver lining to it, as he noted that since the government would be rolling out the jeepney modernization program in 2018, there may no longer be a need to increase fares.
“The basis [for the fare hike] may no longer be there once the new jeepneys are there,” Delgra said.
Apart from Pasang Masda, other groups that sought for a fare increase are the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap), Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (Acto), Liga ng Transport Operators ng Pilipinas (LTOP), and the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Atodap). /kga