Wednesday, March 9, 2011
BUS passengers in the province will have to shell out a few more pesos starting next week, when bus operators start implementing the fare matrix approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in 2008 yet.
Citing the rising cost of fuel and maintenance of buses, operators of buses and mini buses said yesterday that they can no longer keep the bus fares at the present rate.
The fare for the first five kilometers will still be at P8.50 but instead of the present rate of P1 per succeeding kilometer, passengers will have to pay P1.35 starting this Tuesday.
LTFRB 7 Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said the operators who already secured the fare matrix in 2008 can start collecting the new fare rates immediately, without any need to file another petition for a fare hike.
“The rates were already approved by LTFRB in 2008, that’s why they can implement it anytime. But I’m requesting them to give the passengers a few days’ notice so they won’t be taken by surprise. So even if they have the certification, I hope they won’t impose it now, let’s give consideration to the passengers,” Cuizon said.
High time
In a meeting with Cuizon and representatives of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 yesterday, some 40 members of the Cebu Province Bus Operators Association (CPBOA) and Cebu South Mini Bus Operators’ Association (CSMBOA) agreed that it’s high time to impose the increased fare rates.
Julie Flores, president of CSMBOA, said the current fare rates were implemented when diesel was sold for only P38 per liter in 2008. Diesel now costs P49.38 per liter.
“We hope makasabot sad ang riding public because if we don’t implement this now, ang mga sakyanan walay tarong maintenance and mu-break down. Wala man mi nibunal ug pataas sa plitehan, igo-igo ra gyud ang among gipangayo na mukita ra sad ang mga drivers (We hope passengers will understand. We are not asking for a big increase, just enough for the drivers to make a living),” he told reporters after the meeting.
Flores lamented that with the current rates and the rising fuel prices, drivers can only earn at least P100 or P500 at the most a day.
LTFRB approved the increased fare rates in September 2008 but with the intervention of Gov. Gwen Garcia, bus operators suspended its implementation in consideration of the riding public.
Competition
In yesterday’s meeting, Cuizon advised the operators to inform the governor of their plans before they implement it.
Bus operators are worried, though, that their operations will suffer if they increase fare rates while their competitors keep their fares as is.
Although Ceres Bus Lines is a member of their association, it is not a party to their agreement yesterday.
CSMBOA has 34 members with some 150 mini buses while CPBOA has some 20 members with around 300 buses plying their routes in the province.
For his part, LTO 7 Enforcement Division Chief Macario Getaruelas assured the bus operators that they will apprehend bus operators and confiscate the license of bus drivers who undercharge bus passengers.
A complaint, however, will first have to be filed before their office.
“Sa part of law enforcement, if there is a complaint on undercharging and it’s supported with documents, including the bus tickets, we can apprehend them anytime but there has to be a complaint,” Getaruelas told the operators.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 09, 2011.
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