LTFRB sets weekly hearings on jeep fare hike petitions
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will start holding public consultations next week on various petitions to hike passenger jeepney fares amid a surge in the price of fuel products.
The LTFRB said the series of weekly oil price increases and the rising costs of maintaining vehicles prompted various transport groups to seek a fare adjustment.
“We will be holding two hearings next week to discuss all the issues surrounding the petitions for fare increase. And we will be holding weekly hearings in relation to the matter after that,” LTFRB Chair Atty. Vigor Mendoza II said in a statement.
The LTFRB noted that the filed petitions are pushing for an additional P2 in the minimum fare, which would raise it from P13 to P15 for traditional jeepneys, and from P15 to P17 for modern jeepneys.
Transport groups, it added, want the P1 provisional increase granted by the LTFRB in 2023 to be made permanent.
Aside from these, petitioners are also seeking an additional increase for every succeeding kilometer after the 4-kilometer distance covered by the minimum fare.
Mendoza noted that the points the groups raised in their petitions were valid as they continue to deal with the effects of the rising costs of fuel and vehicle spare parts.
“Drivers and operators are really at a disadvantage in the prevailing fare matrix. The arguments they raised in the petition are valid and really represent the realities on the ground for those in the transport sector,” he said.
Balancing act
Mendoza added that while the fare hike may affect the daily lives of commuters, the livelihood of jeepney drivers must also be sustained.
“We understand that any increase in fares affects the daily lives of commuters who rely on jeepneys for affordable transportation but we must also ensure that our drivers and operators can not only sustain safe and reliable services amid rising costs, but are also able to provide for the needs of their families,” he said.
Mendoza said that experts will be invited to the consultation hearings to discuss the effects of the groups’ petition on the economy. He added that this will be done with concerned agencies such as the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
