Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 18) — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday said it will look into the petition filed by transport groups to charge passengers a “surge fee” during rush hours.
The petition was filed by Pasang Masda, Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (ACTO) in an effort to cushion the impact of soaring fuel prices.
The transport groups appealed for a fixed fee of ₱1 that would be added to the minimum fare for traditional (₱12) and modern jeepneys (₱14) between 5 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. An additional fee of ₱2 was also proposed for public buses (₱13).
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In a statement, the board said it understands the request of drivers and operators to raise rates again after the recent round of fuel price hikes.
It also recognized the arguments raised by commuters that the reincrease in fares would make daily expenses even more difficult to meet.
“Bagama’t magkakaroon ito ng inflationary effect sa ekonomiya ng bansa, isinasantabi muna ito ng ahensya upang mahimay ang mga puntong inilatag ng transport groups sa naturang petisyon,” it said.
[Translation: Although this will have an inflationary effect on the country’s economy, the agency is putting it aside first to consider the points laid out by the transport groups in the petition.]
The LTFRB assured the public it will take into consideration the situation of both the transport groups and commuters, as well as the inflationary impact of any fare hike, in reviewing the surge fee petition.
