Piston-Cebu opposes new round of jeepney fare hike

CDN Digital File Photo | Wenilyn B. Sabalo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — While some jeepney drivers support the new round of proposed jeepney fare hikes scheduled to take effect in September 2022, the transportation group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston)-Cebu opposes the increase due to its impact on students and poor commuters.

Sought for comment on the impending fare increase next month, Greg Perez, Piston-Cebu head, told CDN Digital that fare increase, for them, is not a pro-poor solution to the problem on fuel price increase.

“Sa amo, wala ta nag petition ana (fare increase). Kahibalo ta na nga naa man po’y domino effect ang pagsaka sa lana. Mao pod nay atong gipugngan. Mao nay tan-aw namo, nga kami wala mi nanawagan sa fare hike,” he said.

(We don’t petition that. We know the rise of oil prices will create a domino effect. That’s what we have to stop. So for us, we don’t call for a fare hike.)

“Ang atong panawagan sa gobyerno nga aksiyonan ang pag suspend sa excise tax ug uban pa nga VAT sa lana para maka benefit ang tanan kay kung gukuron pod nato ning sige’g saka sa lana pinaagi sa fare hike, paano ang sumasakay? Labi na sa atong Region 7 nga gamay ra kaayo ang umento sa sweldo sa mga mamumuo,” he added.

(Our call to the government is to do something to suspend the excise tax and other VAT in oil so it can benefit all because if we go after the continuous increase in oil prices by fare hike, how will it be for commuters? Especially here in Region 7 wherein the salary increase for workers is very small.)

But Ronie Mar Cabonillas, 37, a jeepney driver for three years now, welcomed the news of another round of jeepney fare hikes.

Cabonillas said the fuel price increase has affected his take home pay, and to make up for this, he sees to it that he can get at least 10 rounds of trip per day. He plies the 12D route in Cebu City.

“Okay ra na namo. Pero ang pasahero ang (maapektuhan ana). Mao man sad nay among gikuan sad tungod pod aning fuel (price increase) ba,” he told CDN Digital.

(For us it’s okay. But the passengers will be affected. This is what happens due to this fuel price increase.)

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulator Board in Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) director Eduardo Montealto, Jr., confirmed in an earlier interview, that another petition for a new fare hike had been submitted by various transport groups in Luzon to their LTFRB central office.

He, however, said that the LTFRB-7 did not receive any local petition for the same here in the region.

LTFRB central office is preparing to make a decision about a petition by jeepney driver organizations to raise the minimum fare once more following the P11’s July approval.

Among the transport groups with pending petition for a new fare hike are the  1-Utak, Pasang Masda, the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (Acto), and the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Altodap).

READ: LTFRB: Jeepney fares due for new increase

A new round of price hike took effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.

Annie Alawi, the supervisor of a gasoline station located in Barangay Basak, Cebu City said the price of their diesel increased by P6.10 per liter, while the gasoline price climbed by P1.40 per liter starting 6 a.m. of Tuesday.

/bmjo