Metro Manila, Philippines – Transport group PISTON on Monday, April 20, filed a petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) seeking a P10 increase in the minimum jeepney fare–from P13 to P23–citing continued financial losses among drivers.
The group said recent diesel rollbacks are not enough to offset high operating costs and declining earnings.
“Mula noong magkaron ng US aggression ay halos umabot ito ng P170 per liter sa diesel at P120 sa gasolina kaya isa ito sa naging tuntungan ng pagfa-file at siyempre yung mataas na piyesa na ginagamit ng public transport kung saan di naman bumabababa ang presyo,” PISTON president Mody Floranda said.
[Translation: “Since the start of US aggression, diesel prices nearly reached P170 per liter and gasoline P120, which became one of the bases for filing the petition, along with the high cost of public transport parts, whose prices have not gone down.”]
PISTON noted that diesel prices remain above P100 per liter, still significantly higher than when current fares were set in 2023.
Floranda added that fuel taxes further cut into earnings.
“Kung kami ay nag co-consume ng 30 liters per day ay direktang nagbabayad kami ng buwis na P715 kada araw, at sa loob ng isang taon ay malutong pong P150,000 ang ibinabayad ng mga driver at operator,” he said.
[Translation: “If we consume 30 liters per day, we directly pay P715 in taxes daily, and within a year, drivers and operators pay a hefty P150,000.”]
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The group urged the government to take broader action to address their concerns.
Floranda stressed, “Ang layunin hindi para umangat ang buhay kundi maibsan yung malaking halagang nawala.”
[Translation: “The goal is not to make lives better off, but to ease the significant losses.”]
PISTON said it will launch another transport strike on Tuesday, April 21, and will also join protests on Labor Day, May 1.
