LTFRB, jeepney drivers’ groups agree on 50-centavo fare rollback

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

THE Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and different public jeepney operators and drivers associations have agreed on a fare rollback from P7 to P6.50.

LTFRB regional director Mandangan Darimbang said operators and drivers associations, through a public consultation, agreed to reduce the current rate by 50 centavos.

“Jeepneys plying in Cagayan de Oro and other cities shall follow the minimum fare of P6.50. The order however clarified that the fare  reduction only applies on the first five kilometers. Kung pila ilang  gibayaran sa una is less 50 centavos,” Darimbang said.

He said the succeeding kilometers after the first five kilometers would remain at P1 per kilometer.

Among those who attended the consultation were officials and directors  of the Traffic Federation of Cagayan de Oro (Trafeco), Starex-Piston, and several transportation cooperatives in the region.

“Ang nasabutan will be forwarded to LTFRB central office to officially declare that we are implementing the reduction of minimum fare by 50 centavos. Pero puede na ipatuman because it was agreed by most of the transport organizations,” Darimbang said.

Earlier, LTFRB-central office released its decision on the fare  reduction petition filed by several transport groups in Manila, and Regions 3 and 4 in Jan. 22.

Among the groups that filed the petition for fare reduction were transport groups  like the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Association of the Philippines (FJODAP), Liga ng mga Tsuper at Operator sa Pilipinas,  Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization and Pasang Masda Nationwide.

The LTFRB agreed with the consolidated petition reasoning out that the “confluence of the circumstances and incidents that transpired in local and world market, resolves to grant the instant consolidated  petition for provisional reduction for PUJ services.”

Darimbang said the fare reduction is on “provisional basis” until such time that the final order would be released and approved by the LTFRB central office.

“The transport groups on Thursday agreed through a petition following  the series of rollbacks of pump prices due to price movement in the global market,” he said.