LTFRB to hear bus, taxi fare cut petitions

MANILA, Philippines—A week after his petition for a P1 rollback in the minimum jeepney fare was approved, a congressman who counts himself as a regular commuter called on the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to also slash fares for taxis and buses.

In separate petitions filed on Wednesday, Negros Oriental Rep. Manuel Iway asked the board to cut the taxi flag-down rate by P10 and the minimum bus fare by P2.

His petitions will be taken up in a hearing to be held by the LTFRB at 9 a.m. on Jan. 9 at its main office in Quezon City, the agency said Thursday.

Citing lower fuel prices in the market, Iway asked the LTFRB to reduce the minimum flag-down rate for taxis from P40 to P30 and to slash by P1 the P3.50 charged for every waiting time of two minutes as well as for every succeeding 300 meters.

“Since diesel prices are now at P31.15 per liter, this honorable board should protect the interests of the taxi-riding public,” he said in one petition.

“This honorable board should also reduce the fares of other taxi services, such as GT (garage terminal) Express and airport taxis by a proportionate and fair reduction,” added Iway, a former LTFRB board member.

The current airport taxi fare is P70 for the first 500 meters and P4 for every succeeding 300 meters. Iway’s petition, however, left the rate adjustment for both airport and GT taxis to the discretion of the LTFRB.

He noted that price rollbacks implemented by six oil companies on Dec. 14 reduced prices by as much as P1.60 for diesel, P1.90 for gasoline and P1.80 for kerosene.

In his second petition, Iway sought a reduction in the minimum bus fare from P10 to P8 for the first five kilometers and from P1.85 to P1.50 for every succeeding kilometer.

He said bus fares should also be lowered “to reduce the financial strain on the resources of the bus-riding commuters and let all people, not just the operators, enjoy the oil price rollbacks.”

In October, Iway petitioned the LTFRB to roll back the minimum jeepney fare for the same reason. It was granted by the agency which reduced the P8.50 fare for the first four kilometers to P7.50.

LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez urged all parties concerned to appear in the Jan. 9 hearing as he called on those opposed to the petition to file their position papers before the hearing date.