Three transport groups filed Tuesday a petition to allow jeepney and bus operators and drivers to charge an additional P1 to P2 in surge fare during rush hour.
Pasang Masda, the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) asked the Transport filed the petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
The groups asked the LTFRB to allow a surge charge of P1 for traditional and modern public utility jeepneys (PUJs) and P2 for public utility buses (PUBs) during the rush hour periods of 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., except on Sundays and national holidays.
In a statement, LTFRB said it will study the petitions.
“The LTFRB understands the petition of drivers and operations to increase fares again due to continuous increases in the price of crude oil,” the LTFRB said.
While this will have an inflationary effect on the country, the agency will set this aside to examine the points raised by transport groups in their petition,” the agency added.
Last month, the LTFRB approved a P1 provisional increase in the minimum fare for the first four kilometers of travel in PUJs. It also approved an additional fare per succeeding kilometer of P0.30 for traditional PUJs, and P0.40 for modern PUJs.
Two consecutive weeks of price increases in oil and petroleum products, however, have offset five weeks’ worth of rollbacks for diesel, gasoline, and kerosene.
The Department of Energy has warned pump prices will continue to rise because of the decision by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies to cut production by 2 million barrels per day starting next month.