8 bus firms face probe for illegal fare increases
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTRFB) on Monday reminded bus companies not to take advantage of passengers headed home to their provinces during the Holy Week break, as it received a report about bus firms that had raised their fares illegally.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez also issued a similar reminder, saying that LTFRB personnel have been deployed nationwide to conduct inspections of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and go after violators.
Lopez warned transport operators not to implement fare hikes without the approval of the LTFRB, as this may be grounds for the suspension, or worse, revocation of their franchises.
LTFRB Board Member Greg Pua, meanwhile, said at a press briefing that they were informed by the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) about the unauthorized fare increases imposed by eight bus companies plying Bicol routes.
PITX senior corporate affairs officer Kolyn Calbasa told the Inquirer in a Viber message that the cases were monitored over the weekend.
“That information has reached us and we will issue show cause orders to the identified bus operators because the President has stopped the implementation of the fare increase. That’s why it should not be implemented,” Pua said.
Pua added that if passengers have other complaints about illegal fare hikes, they can report these by going directly to the LTFRB website.
“Let me just remind our bus operators, especially with Holy Week approaching, don’t exploit this [oil crisis] and our kababayan who want to go home to their provinces,” he said.
President Marcos ordered the Department of Transportation on March 18 to defer the fare hikes granted by the LTFRB to PUVs to ease the effects of soaring fuel prices because of the Middle East crisis.
“Let us postpone it because we are currently in a situation where we need to continue supporting our commuters—our workers, students, and everyone who uses our transport system,” Mr. Marcos had said.
Travel rush
Ahead of the Holy Week travel rush, state-run airports have been placed on heightened alert, while seaports are also bracing for higher passenger traffic, as travel turnout is expected to remain strong despite pressures linked to the Middle East conflict.
The Philippine National Police is also on heightened alert, with nearly 60,000 personnel to be deployed to public places throughout the Holy Week to provide security and assistance.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) said it is projecting around 550,000 passengers across its operated airports from March 28 to April 5, up by 8.8 percent from the 505,511 recorded in the same period last year.
The Caap said passenger volume across the 42 airports it operates could grow by as much as 10 percent during the period.
In anticipation of the surge, it said it has directed all area and airport managers to implement heightened operational readiness measures to ensure safe and efficient airport operations nationwide.
These include the increased deployment of personnel, stricter security protocols and continuous monitoring of passenger movement across terminals.
“We want to assure the public that all Caap-operated airports are fully prepared to handle the surge in passenger volume, with measures in place to ensure safe, smooth, and convenient travel for all,” said Caap Director Raul Del Rosario.
Busier seaports seen
For its part, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is also expecting increased passenger movement, projecting traffic to reach 2.46 million from March 29 to April 5, slightly higher than the 2.41 million recorded last year.
Among the ports expected to be the busiest are Batangas Port, Iloilo River Wharf, Calapan Port, Jordan Port and Bredco Port. —WITH A REPORT FROM JASON SIGALES
