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BY RESEL JOY TIANERO
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Tuesday, February 21, 2017
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ILOILO City – The Pinag-isang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) in Panay Island is against a P1 increase in jeepney fare.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) central office recently approved a P1 jeepney fare hike in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
Can a similar jeepney fare increase in Western Visayas be far behind?
According to Piston Panay chairperson Edgar Salarda, a P1 increase is too much for the commuting public.
The current minimum jeepney fare is P6.50 for regular passengers and P5 for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
“A P7 minimum fare is already okay with us. This would just be a return to the previous rate,” said Salarda.
His group also presented alternatives – scrap the taxes in diesel and gasoline, and giving subsidy to jeepney drivers.
Last year, the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) proposed a P1 fare hike, citing surges in the prices of fuel.
ICLAJODA president Raymundo Parcon said the fuel price hikes were compounded by the increases in the prices of basic commodities.
Making matters worse was the traffic congestion, he added.
The seemingly never-ending rehabilitation of roads across the city is also taking a toll on the daily income of public utility jeepneys, he lamented.
The traffic congestion brought about by the repairs dramatically reduced the jeepney drivers’ number of trips, said Parcon./PN
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