Starting next month bus and mini-bus operators all over Cebu will charge every passenger a minimum fare of P6.
The fare hike was agreed on during a meeting attended by representatives of more than 50 bus firms that are members of the Cebu Provincial Bus and Mini Bus Operators Cooperative (CPBMBOC), the Cebu Provincial government and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) yesterday.
Passengers will be charged P6 for the first five kilometers and P1.20 for each succeeding kilometer.
Currently, the bus fares are pegged at P5 for the first five kilometers and P1 per kilometer, which had been implemented since 2014 when the bus operators and the provincial government entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that not only mandated the current fare but also prohibited them from increasing their rates.
Julieto Flores, CPBMBOC president explained that despite the LTFRB recommended rate of P6 for the first five kilometers, they voluntarily undercharged bus fares because at that time, fuel products such as diesel were only P30 per liter.
But the higher excise tax on fuel products due to the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train) law, prompted them to implement the current approved rates of LTFRB.
Flores also urged passengers not to get too worried since technically, they were just returning to the normal bus fare rates after four years of undercharging them.
“It’s not an increase in the fare. We’re just reinstating the rates approved by the LTFRB,” he said.
“Dili na gyud kaya sa amo, mga operators, ang presyo sa gasolina karon. Sa una, nisulod mi og MOA tungod kay barato ra. P30 ra kada litro (We can no longer afford the price of fuel now. Before, we entered into a MOA because it was cheaper at P30 per liter),” he added.
The increase would translate to a bus fare of P48 from P40 for a passenger riding at the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) to Carcar City, which is around 40 kilometers southeast of Cebu City.
Notify
LTFRB Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said they are amenable to the request of the CPBMBOC, whose members include large bus firms such as Cebu Autobus, Sunrays, Librando Lines, and Corominas Transit.
He however urged them to formally notify Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III of their decision to terminate the MOA they entered into in 2014.
“Out of courtesy … para namo, represented man ang tanan sector (For us every sector was represented) but I think it is only a matter of formality na ipahibawo ang gobernador sa Sugbo (to notify the governor of Cebu). And there’s still a number of days before they will implement it,” Cuizon said.
He said terminating the MOA does not necessarily entail the creation of another to stop its validity.
Ted Francis Servano, 20, a college student who studies in a private university in Cebu City and goes home to San Fernando town on a weekly to monthly basis, said it was alright to increase bus fare rates so long as they could come up with protocols to safeguard passengers from being overcharged.
“Most of the time, I opt for Ceres buses because their rates are standardized and they provide you with a ticket. Mini-buses, on the other hand, sometimes tend to abuse passengers like they ask you for a higher price and they won’t even issue you a ticket,” stated Servano.