Higher fares, transport strikes: What commuters can expect this week

National

JUST as commuters brace for higher fares this week, thousands of transport workers are preparing to strike, arguing that the approved increases fall short of the rising cost of fuel and operations.

The government’s lifting of the suspension on fare increases approved in March means the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys will rise from P13 to P14, while modern jeepney fares will increase from P15 to P17.

Succeeding kilometer rates will also go up.

Manibela president Mar Valbuena said more than 20,000 members in Metro Manila, including jeepney, UV Express, motorcycle taxi and transport network vehicle drivers, would join the strike from Monday to Wednesday.

“Our protest will still push through because our request is for a P2 fare increase,” Valbuena said on Sunday, Sept. 27, in an interview with dzBB, as quoted by the Inquirer.net.

He said the government still owed drivers for the six months that the approved fare hikes were suspended and that the P1 increase for traditional jeepneys was insufficient amid higher diesel prices.

Valbuena said diesel had risen by a net P50 per liter and estimated that a driver consuming 30 liters daily would lose P1,500 in income. He said the approved fare increase would not make up for those additional costs and appealed to commuters to understand the drivers’ situation.

Piston will stage its own strike from Tuesday to Wednesday, with 70,000 to 100,000 participants expected, including workers’ groups, urban poor organizations and commuters.

Piston leader Mody Floranda questioned the government’s response to fuel price increases, saying further hikes could follow and citing the Department of Energy’s projection that the oil industry crisis could persist until December.

“What is the point of the rollback being touted by the government and the oil companies? In the coming days or weeks, there will be new increases in fuel prices,” Floranda said in the same article.

Last week, diesel prices rose by P8.82 per liter to an average P103, gasoline by P4.88 to P98 and kerosene by P6.47 to P130.

Piston has called for the removal of value-added and other taxes on oil products. President Marcos, meanwhile, issued Executive Order No. 125 suspending the excise tax only on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene. The government has also committed to targeted subsidies and financial assistance for affected transport workers.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said drivers may collect the approved fares even without printed fare matrices, as they can download the fare guide from its website. The agency explained that the guide contains the applicable fares based on travel distance, including discounted rates.

LTFRB Chair Greg Pua Jr. also said “mystery riders” would be deployed to monitor compliance, with drivers facing possible franchise suspension or cancellation for overcharging or other fare violations.

The fare increases were approved on March 17 but suspended the following day. After months of calls for higher fares, the Department of Transportation approved the LTFRB recommendation to lift the suspension on Sept. 25, with the new rates taking effect Sept. 28.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the fare increase was being implemented to help ensure that enough public utility vehicles remain on the roads and that commuters continue to have access to transportation.(MyTVCebu)