The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board yesterday released fare guides for the provisional 50 centavo fare increase for the first five kilometers to avoid confusion among drivers and the commuters, its Regional Director Romulo Bernardes said.
LTFRB announced that drivers can collect the additional 50 centavo fare increase even without fare matrix, but the United Drivers and Operators Center appealed to the agency to issue a memorandum circular to avoid confusion and arguments between drivers and passengers.
Drivers can get the copy of the fare guide from the LTFRB office in Bacolod or they can borrow them from their colleagues and have them recopied, Bernardes said.
If they don’t have copies of the fare guide, a simple note informing the public of the 50 centavo fare increase would do, he said.
LTFRB appealed to both drivers and the commuting public to prepare coins, especially in the morning
While they are thankful for the provisional 50 centavo fare increase, the two transport groups in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are still hoping that LTFRB will approve their fare hike petitions amid the successive oil price increases.
UNDOC is pushing a P1 fare increase while the Federation of Bacolod Driver’s Association wants P2 as fare hike.
UNDOC secretary general Jesse Ortega said their group is calling for the scrapping of the value-added tax on fuel products and the oil deregulation law.
FEBACDA president Elizabeth Katalbas said that a P2 increase in fare should be granted because the transport sector can no longer ask for hike if oil prices rise again.
The LTFRB continues to conduct hearings and consultations with stakeholders to arrive at a comprehensive fare increase.
The provisional 50-centavo hike in jeepney fares took effect Wednesday, and this means that the P7.50 fare in the region will be P8 for the first four kilometers and, with their 20 percent discount, students, the elderly and disabled will pay P6.40. This will last until the LTFRB head office has decided on how much the fare increase should be.*APN back
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