FARE HIKE PLEA. Public utility jeepneys at a corner of Kamias Road in Quezon City on March 15, 2023. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday (Aug. 15, 2023) clarified that the proposed PHP1 surge charge during rush hours has not been rejected but instead set aside to prioritize the PHP2 fare hike proposal due to the recent oil price hikes. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)
MANILA – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Tuesday clarified that the recently filed PHP2 minimum fare hike proposal for public utility jeepneys (PUJ) is being prioritized and has not rejected the separate petition for a PHP1 surge charge during rush hours.
In a statement on Tuesday, the LTFRB said the surge charge plea has been “set aside” right after the PHP2 petition was filed.
“The LTFRB Board will still, however, resolve the first petition while prioritizing the most recent one filed due to oil price hike,” it said.
Earlier, Pasang Masda national president Roberto Martin filed an amended version of their PHP1 surge charge petition that intends to add an additional PHP1 charge during rush hours -- from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On Friday, the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP), Stop and Go Transport Coalition Incorporated (Stop & Go), and Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP) formally petitioned the LTFRB for the PHP2 price hike in PUJs.
The proposed fare hike, which would increase the minimum fare in traditional jeepneys from PHP12 to PHP14, is due to the continued increase in oil prices for the fifth week in a row. (PNA)
