Angara wants law on fare discounts for students

Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. (File photo Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)

There is a need for Congress to pass a legislation that will institutionalize the 20 percent student fare discount, Senator Sonny Angara said on Friday.

“If we want to provide long-term assistance to our students, we need to come up with a law to institutionalize the regulatory policy, which can always be subject to change,” the senator noted in a statement.

According to Angara, there is always a possibility that the student fare discount may not be enforced effectively since it is just based on a circular issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

“Ang kailangan natin ay batas para masiguro natin na ang 20-percent discount para sa mga mag-aaral ay mananatili kahit sino pa ang mga nakaupo sa DOTr (Department of Transportation) at LTFRB,” the senator pointed out.

Thus, Angara reiterated his call for his colleagues in the Senate to fast-track the approval of his Senate Bill 945, which seeks to expand and institutionalize the 20 percent transport fare discount given to students.

The bill covers not only land transport but MRT, LRT, airplanes, and passenger ships as well. The proposed measure wants the student fare discount to be imposed all year round.

The DOTr earlier issued a public reminder about the entitlement of students to fare discounts even during weekends and holidays, as well as the corresponding penalties for operators and drivers of public utility vehicles who violate such regulation.

In October last year, the LTFRB issued a memorandum circular stating that “students can avail of the 20-percent discount from Monday to Sunday, including summer breaks, legal and special holidays.”

Failure to provide the fare discount is a franchise violation that carries a P5,000 fine for the first offense; P10,000 and their vehicles impounded for one month for the second offense; and P15,000 and cancellation of franchise for the third offense, according to the LTFRB memo.      /kga