Update on Fare Increase Petition of Transport Groups
FARE INCREASE – The transport groups have yet to retract their petition that seeks an additional P3.00 on the minimum jeepney fare.
Several transport groups recently aired their sentiments amid their struggles now. The pandemic in the Philippines called for reduced capacity in public utility vehicles (PUVs) including jeepneys. Also, a huge portion of the commuters was slashed.
Many people who used to report in their office are currently under a work-from-home setup. Most students that occupy a huge part of the daily commuters also stay at home now as the educational institutions adapted blended learning amid the pandemic. The students get their lessons through modules and online classes.
The reduced seating capacity in jeepneys and the lowered number of daily commuters have greatly affected the drivers. However, recently, another challenge forced the drivers to push for a fare increase petition.
The series of pump price increases pushed several transport groups to call for an additional Php 3.00 on the minimum fare in jeepneys. It will raise the minimum fare from Php 9.00 to Php 12.00.
The government recently confirmed the fuel subsidy for drivers of PUV. However, based on a report on ABS-CBN News, while the cash aid has yet to be released, the transport groups are not retracting their petition for a fare increase.
Pasang Masda President Obet Martin said that the petition will remain while the subsidy is yet to be distributed to the drivers. He also expressed his disagreement with the proposal that only vaccinated individuals may ride public vehicles. He stressed that it would be hard to implement it and it might only cause a conflict between the driver and the passengers.
The transport group President further expressed that they are already preparing for the increase in the seating capacity from 50% to 70%. More updates may be posted soon.