Keep fare cut P.50, Benguet transport group asks LTFRB

BAGUIO CITY -- Benguet, jeepney operators here have asked the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to limit slash in minimum fare by only 50 centavos instead of the P1 in the lowlands due to road condition and natural terrain in this city and the province.

Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association president Perfecto “Jonie” Itliong, Jr. said they have submitted a paper position to the Department of Transportation and Communications to make the fare cut only 50 centavos.

Itliong, who is also Cordillera regional public transport coordinator, said the group’s petition was submitted Jan. 21 that would make the minimum fare P8 from  P8.50.

“We are not against a rollback of jeepney fare because it is beyond their control, but all we are saying is that it should not be patterned with the fare cut in the lowlands where  P1 was imposed,” Itliong said.

He said the “the road condition here and the terrain are too different from the lowlands.”

“As such, these factors take their toll more on our vehicles and can easily deteriorate spare parts,” Itliong said.

He said that while it was true that fuel prices have gone down, “the price of spare parts have continued to soar.”

Maintenance of Cordillera vehicles is more frequent due to the mountainous terrain.

Fare rollback was first implemented recently in Metro Manila, imposing a P1 cut. Other regions followed suit but Itliong said this shouldn’t hold true with Benguet and other parts of the region.

“We submitted a petition to show our support to the rollback but we also raised the dilemma of the operators and drivers for the agency to also hear our side and impose (a cut of) only 50 centavos, which will help us sustain the regular maintenance of our vehicles by being able to buy spare parts,” he said.

The transport group has 4,437 members in this city and Benguet alone.

The P8.50 minimum jeepney  fare for the first four kilometers was imposed in the region in 2011 with an additional  P1.50 for every kilometer thereafter, higher by 50 centavos compared to the lowlands.

This was a result of the request of the local transport group considering the extraordinary condition in the Cordillera. At that time a liter of gasoline was  P37.75 but frequent increases were implemented until it reached  P47.75 a liter in the early part of 2014.