Tricycle drivers in Mandaue City take a break as they wait for their turn to ferry passengers. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines— The possibility of a tricycle fare rollback in Cebu City is not remote.
However, Councilor James Cuenco, the chairperson of the City Council’s transportation committee, said that he will have to dialogue with the concerned stakeholders before he will draft a resolution to authorize the planned fare rollback.
Cuenco issued the statement after Mayor Michael Rama also said that he was open to the possiblity of bringing down the minimum fare of tricycles now that they are allowed to travel on full capacity.
The minimum fare in Cebu City was earlier set at P10. It was later on increased to P15 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after passenger load was also reduced from five to only three per trip.
With the loosening of restrictions here, Cuenco said, they are looking at the possibility of a rollback or the reimplementation of the P10 minimum fare since tricycles are now allowed to again carry a maximum of five passengers per trip.
“Ang CTTO ga control ana nila but we could come up with resolution sa council to (adjust) the minimum fare but we will only do that after we have met with the stakeholders,” he said.
While he studies the possibility of a rollback, Cuenco expressed optimism that the discount cards for tricycle drivers will already be released soon.
These discount cards that will be issued by the Cebu City government will qualify its holders to a P3 per litter discount when they fuel with partner gasoline stations.
Cuenco said the grant of a discount is one way of convincing tricycle drivers to support the planned fare rollback.
“We could maybe convince them also to lower the plitehan (fare)…matagaan man sad nato sila ug (we will also be giving them) discount cards,” Cuenco said.
However, some tricycle drivers have reservations on the planned fare rollback.
Joselito Dela Cerna, 29, said a P10 minimum fare is no longer enough.
Dela Cerna, the vice president of Cogon Pardo Driver Tricycle Drivers Association, said that aside from the expensive cost of gasoline, competition with e-bikes also contributes to a drop in their daily income.
“Okay, willing ra mi mupa-ubos sa plitehan tungod sa discount card pero unta kaning e-bike matagaan og laing routa kay wa man mi income ani gud,” said Dela Cerna.
(Okay, I am willing to support a rollback because we will be given discount cards but i do hope that e-bikes will also be given a different route because they contribute to the drop in our income.)
Gerald Barino, 42, shared dela Cerna’s sentiments.
Barino, who operates at the vicinity of Laray in Barangay Inayawan, also raised a concern on their access to gasoline stations that will grant the P3 per litter discount.
He said that gas stations that were accredited by the city government are located along the national highways.
“Dili man mi makapatubil anang mga gasoline stations nga na mention kay naa na sa highway kung mugawas mis amo routa dakpon pud mi,” said Barino.
(We cannot fuel in the accredited gas stations mentioned because these are located along the [national] highway and if we go out, we will be arrested.)
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