The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has provisionally approved a P0.50 fare reduction for public utility jeepneys in Region 4 (Southern Tagalog) after a series of rollback in diesel prices.
The new minimum fare covers the first 4 kilometers, with the fare rate for the succeeding kilometre increasing by P0.10 from P1.50 to P1.40.
Persons with disability (PWDs), senior citizens and student in the region will continue to receive a 20% fare discount.
The Board, after evaluating all the comments and petitions of transport groups in Region 4, decided to provisionally reduce the minimum PUJ fare in response to a petition filed by Representative Manuel M. Iway on October 22, 2014.
Iway is a former member Board Member of LTFRB.
In line with LTFRB’s order dated December 11, 2014, directing all its regional offices to conduct simultaneous public consultation to hear the petition for the reduction of fare rate for PUJ service, a hearing was held on January 16, 2015 in Region IV.
LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said announced the board decision.
Representatives of local chapters from transport groups including the Alliance of Transport Organization (ACTO), FEJODAP, ALTODAP, LTOP, Batangas Capitolio Jeepney Operators Drivers Association Inc., and Pinagsama-samang Tsuper Operator sa Lucena City (PISTOL Federation) attended the public hearing to voice out their opinion on the proposed PUJ fare reduction.
After the public hearing, the transport groups were given by the Board to submit their respective position papers and comments until January 23, 2015. Only the San Pedro Estrella, Langgam, Filinvest, Bayan-Bayanan Villarosa Jeepney Operators’ Drivers’ Association Inc. (SELFBVJODA) filed its comments before the deadline.
The groups said that they are aware of the continuous fuel price rollback but added should not be used as the only factor to implement the fare reduction.
The Board assessed their opposition but after careful evaluation on the impact of the successive oil price reduction, particularly diesel, granted Rep, Iway’s petition to lower the minimum PUJ fare in Region I4.
