ILOILO City – The Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) is seeking a P10 provisional increase in the taxi flag down rate.
A petition was yesterday filed at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 office.
According to ATOP president Perfecto Yap, their petition will be forwarded by the regional office to the LTFRB central office.
Taxi operators and drivers, too, are affected by the series of fuel price hikes since January, he lamented.
The current tax flagdown rate is P40.
Since what they are asking is a provisional fare increase, according to Yap, there is no need for their taxi meters to be calibrated.
The P10 will just be added to the total metered amount, he explained.
“We are appealing to our manugsakay nga buro-buylogan man nila ang aton mga drivers nga tungod sang pandemya daku gid ang ila pagkapigado,” said Yap.
The last time ATOP sought a taxi face increase was in 2012.
In Region 6, the total number of taxi units operating is around 2,300. Due to the pandemic, however, only half of them are operating.
“Ginakaon sang gasolina ang ila nga kita,” said Yap.
Yap noted that the daily income of taxi drivers have almost halved because of the coronavirus pandemic and oil price hike.
“In terms of income, naga-aflect man ina sa amon (nga mga operators). Sang una with P1,200 nga boundary sa amon, almost all of them (drivers) can pay. Subong ya, halos sila makahatag P700,” Yap lamented.
He added that other taxi drivers have started looking for to alternative livelihoods to augment their income.
On the part of the operators, Yap said they are also begging from their suppliers to give them some time to pay for their ordered spare parts because of low income.
“Naga-ampo man kami sa amon nga mga suppliers nga medyo makulang-kulang or ma-delay kami bayad sa ila…bisan ano ka pigado sang byahe, for you to be able to make your unit run, mangutang ka gid,” said Yap.
Two weeks ago jeepney drivers and operators in Iloilo city and province sought a P2.50 increase in the minimum fare. They cited as reason the increase in the price of diesel fuel, which is now P55 to P56 per liter.
“Daw sobra P2 na ang saka per liter,” according to Raymundo Parcon, president of the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (ICLAJODA).
The current jeepney minimum fare is P9 for the first four kilometers plus P1.50 for every succeeding kilometer. Drivers and operators want it raised to P11.50 for the first four kilometers plus P1.50 for every succeeding kilometer./PN
