MANILA – Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara seeks to institutionalize the 20-percent student fare discount on all modes of transportation.
“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,” said Angara on Friday.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) earlier issued a public reminder that students are still entitled to discounts even during weekends and holidays.
In October 2017, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a memorandum circular stating that “students can avail [themselves] of the 20-percent discount from Monday to Sunday, including summer breaks, legal and special holidays.”
Noncompliance can lead to a penalty of a fine ranging from P5,000 to P15,000, and cancellation of franchise, it said.
Angara lamented that student fare discount may not be effectively enforced because it is just based on a LTFRB circular.
“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 Department of Transportation at LTFRB,” he stressed.
In August 2016, Angara filed Senate Bill No. 945 that seeks to expand and institutionalize the 20-percent transport discount to students on all transport facilities, including rail transits, airplanes, and passenger ships all year round.
“Let’s lessen a bit the hardship of parents in sending their children to school. One way is to help our students by cutting their transportation expenses. The money saved from the fare discount can be used for other school requirements,” Angara said./PN
