Gov’t slashes airport, Ro-ro terminal fees effective April
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Tuesday that some airport fees, particularly the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) and takeoff and landing fees, would be discounted beginning on April 1 as part of government efforts to ease the burden on passengers and the aviation industry because of the spiraling prices of oil products.
The discount will apply in airports being operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), according to Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez.
New rates
“There will be a reduction of up to P200 per passenger. The beauty of this is that there will be a direct effect. For example, if the flight ticket costs P2,000, the price will go down to P1,800 because of the reduced terminal fee,” he said at a press briefing.
Under the discounted rates, the PSC or terminal fee for international travel at international airports will be cut from the current P900 to P700. For local travel at international airports, the charge will range from P150 to P200, down from P350.
For Principal Class 1 airports, the terminal fee will decrease from P300 to between P150 and P200, while Principal Class 2 airports will see a 50-percent reduction from P200 to P100. On the other hand, community airport charges will also be lowered from P100 to P50.
Lopez noted that before war broke out in the Middle East on Feb. 28 and sent oil prices soaring, jet fuel was worth $89 per barrel. At present, it is now $200 per barrel.
He said that the reduction in takeoff and landing fees would result in savings of as much as P5,000 for airline companies per takeoff and landing.
According to Lopez, based on their first assessment, the discounted rates will be effective for three months, subject to review.
Terminal fees are paid by travelers, while aeronautical fees such as the takeoff and landing charges are shouldered by airlines.
P1 Ro-ro fee
Lopez, meanwhile, said that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has reduced to just P1 the roll-on, roll-off ships (Ro-ro) terminal fees for Class 3 and 4 vehicles that transport agricultural goods.
The P1 fee, which will be effective for six months, is a drastic reduction from the current charges, ranging from P258 to P516, depending on the vehicle type.
The reduced Ro-ro terminal charges apply to Type 3 vehicles such as light delivery trucks, vans and pickup trucks, as well as Type 4 vehicles like heavy delivery trucks that carry raw and unprocessed agricultural products, including grains (rice and corn), fruits and vegetables, fishery products and livestock and poultry (raw/unprocessed).
According to Lopez, the move aims to lower the operating costs of owners or drivers of vehicles with agriculture products.
“These goods need to be transported despite the high price of fuel. We made the Ro-ro terminal fee just P1 to ensure the continuous movement of essential goods,” he said.
The DOTr earlier announced a 50-percent cut in fare rates for the Metro Rail Transit 3 and Light Rail Transit (LRT) 2, effective on March 23. Lopez said they are also coordinating with the Light Rail Manila Corp., a private company that operates the LRT 1, about reducing its ticket prices.
Aside from these, a two-month toll discount will also be given to public utility and freight service vehicles using the North Luzon Expressway, South Luzon Expressway and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road.
