A transport group in northern Mindanao has called on government anew to scrap the oil deregulation law instead of increasing the public utility vehicle (PUV) fares.
Just recently, the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved the petition of taxi operators to raise the fare of taxis.
“The Duterte administration must do something to solve the plight of the PUV drivers,” said Ringo Lago, secretary-general of the Solidarity of Transport in Region X-Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Starex-Piston).
“What they (PUV drivers and operators) are asking for is legitimate, but on the other hand, the more pressing problem the government must address is the scrapping of the oil deregulation law,” Lago said.
The enactment of Republic Act 8479, or the oil deregulation law, in 1998, led to the non-interference of the government with the pricing, export, and importation of petrol products, among other provisions.
Lago said that no matter how many times the LTFRB increases the PUV fare, it does not mean that the fuel price increase will stop since RA 8479 has removed the power of the state to intervene in the price movement of oil in the country. (davaotoday.com)
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