Fare blues

It’s been four days since the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved a P6.50 fare for passenger jeepneys in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas. So far, the difference has hardly been felt.

For one, both the passengers and the jeepney drivers cannot be bothered with paying/giving the exact fare/change which makes the fare cut a band aid solution to commuters.

It goes something like this: passengers pay the jeepney driver P7 or P10, and the driver or his dispatcher gives a P3 change, with hardly any questions asked.

If the passenger asks for his or her 50 centavos, he or she would be ignored completely, met with a cold stare  or — this is rare — an apologetic look, as if to say, “please bear with us,” or the most common expression “magsinabtanay na lang ‘ta (let’s come to an understanding).”

Now if the passenger pays P6, he or she is (again) met with a cold stare, a look of resignation, complete ignorance or a quizzical look, as if to say, “where’s the 50 centavos?” Again, that expression “magsinabtanay na lang ‘ta.”

We can appreciate, or at least understand, the situation of these passenger jeepney drivers, who point to the ongoing traffic congestion as yet another factor in their declining income.

But even without the bridge and road repairs, there’s always been traffic congestion. In fact, aren’t these public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers among the major causes of traffic congestion since they practically stop at any area they please even if these aren’t terminal areas or loading and unloading stops?

That said, there is a need for the LTFRB to institute a faster, more responsive fare adjustment mechanism that will rationalize the imposition of fares to avoid further inconveniencing both commuters and drivers.

Simply put, it’s time for the agency to round off their fares so both drivers and commuters won’t have to trouble themselves finding the extra 50 centavos with which to pay the fares.

The riding public can only ask how the LTFRB comes out with its formula for determining the final fare. We can name at least one consumer welfare group — the Consumer Rights and Economic Welfare (CREW)— but aside from them, we hardly see other representation from the public that could report how this fare adjustment mechanisms work.

That said, we doubt if there will be howls of protest coming from the riding public on the P6.50 fare anytime soon.

In fact, we may even see the commuters commiserating with the passenger jeepney drivers and allowing them to pocket the extra 50 centavos as consolation or consuelo. Again, it’s all about “magsinabtanay na lang ‘ta.”