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[av_heading heading=’Still no LTFRB action on fare hike petitions; another round of oil price hike today’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA
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ILOILO City – Oil companies are raising their prices again but the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has yet to act on the fare increase petitions of passenger jeepney and taxi drivers and operators.
Local fuel prices are expected to rise today following the increase in the price of oil in the world market yesterday.
According to the Region 6 office of LTFRB, it has no power to approve fare hike petitions.
The petitions submitted by the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA) and the Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) were forwarded to LTFRB’s central office in Metro Manila, said Joscet Abellar, officer-in-charge of LTFRB-6.
“Ang ara lang sa power namon is to accept the evidence (or request) of the transport groups. Anything related to price adjustments, that is already the jurisdiction of our central office,” Abellar told Panay News.
The prices of gasoline and diesel are up P1.40 per liter today while that of kerosene increases by P1.45 per liter.
Local transport groups are pressing for a 50-centavo increase in fares. Two weeks ago, the price of gasoline increased by P1.50 per liter, kerosene by P1.40 per liter, and diesel by P1.20 per liter.
ICLAJODA) president Raymundo Parcon said they filed a petition at LTFRB-6 last week of November.
Abellar said the petition was forwarded to LTFRB’s central office on Dec.2.
The regional office has yet to receive a feedback from its central office.
“We gave him (Parcon) the contact number of the point person at our central office,” said Abellar.
According to Parcon, the recent oil price increases were too much for jeepney drivers to bear.
“(The central office) will evaluate if the increase in oil prices is enough basis (for a fare hike) kay indi lang oil price ginabasehan sina,” said Abellar.
LTFRB also seeks the opinions of the National Economic Development Authority and Department of Trade and Industry, she added.
Currently, the minimum jeepney fare is P6.50 for regular passengers and P5 for students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The “boundary” or daily jeepney rent will surely increase, too, said Parcon.
“A driver currently goes home with a meager P400 after a day’s work but this could further plummet to P200. This is not enough for a family, more so if the driver has children going to school,” he added.
ATOP, meanwhile, called for a P10-increase in the current P30 flagdown rate.
“Indi lang ini one time nga nagsaka kundi series na gid ya,” said ATOP president Perfecto Yap.
ATOP filed its fare hike petition in October yet. before the LTFRB.
The Pinag-Isang Samahan ng mgaTsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston-Panay) previously told Panay News it would also press for a 50-centavo fare hike. Abellar, however, said LTFRB-6 has yet to receive any petition from Piston-Panay.
Prices of oil in the world market soared yesterday following a landmark deal by Russia and other non-OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) producers to join the cartel in capping output, in a bid to end a stubborn global glut that has hammered prices./PN
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