A brief reprieve for transport groups, another burden to carry for commuters.
That was how many viewed the newest round of fare hikes approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for almost all modes of public transportation starting September 28.
The fare hikes were approved amid widespread clamoring from transport groups, as prices of oil products once again breached the P100-per-liter mark amid renewed tensions in the Middle East.
But even as some drivers have lauded the move, many believe the decision to raise fares could just as well be a final dose to a dying transport sector.
Commuters, on the other hand, bemoan the fare hikes as another burden to carry as they grapple with high inflation rates, a weakening peso, and a pervading sense of malaise in the country’s economy.
Across-the-board hike
Last September 28, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) finally approved the long-deferred fare increases for all land transport sectors in the country.
The fare hikes were supposed to be implemented last March, at the onset of the U.S.-Israel offensive on Iran that resulted in the steep rise of prices of petroleum products on the global market.
However, the fare increases were postponed by the national government, citing a need to balance between commuters’ welfare and supporting the transport sector.
“Alam natin na maraming mabibigatan sa pagtaas na ito ng pasahe. Pero dapat balance ito para sa kapakanan ng transport sector at ng ating commuters. Hindi puwedeng isang grupo lang ang panalo,” was how Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro put it.
What’s in it for the ordinary commuter?
Under the approved fare adjustment, the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys will increase by P1, from P13 to P14 for the first four kilometers, with an additional P2 for every succeeding kilometer.
Modern jeepneys meanwhile, will have a P2 increase for its base fare, from P15 to P17, with an additional P2.40 for every succeeding kilometer.
For city buses, the base fare for airconditioned buses is now P18 for the first five kilometers, with an additional P2.98 for each succeeding kilometers, while provincial bus fares went up to P2.45 per kilometer (for regular airconditioned buses) to P3.35 per kilometer (for luxury buses).
Point-to-point buses will implement a 15-percent fare increase based on their own approved LTFRB fares.
Which meant commuters riding from, let’s say, San Pedro City to Alabang, Muntinlupa City will now have to shell an extra P2 to P4 for their average daily commute.
For workers commuting to Metro Manila, however, it hits harder.
A regular one-way airconditioned bus ride from Pacita Complex in San Pedro City, Laguna, to One Ayala in Makati City, for instance, now costs P90 from the former P77.
A P13 difference already means much for the average commuter – perhaps another jeepney ride to the upper villages of San Pedro, for instance (plus another peso).
Lose-lose situation?
Claire Castro, who had gained a reputation as being “patawa” (in the sarcastic sense) for statements that didn’t jive with reality, will probably earn another round of bitter laughs from the public.
“Hindi puwedeng isang grupo lang ang panalo”? Excuse us, transport groups said.
Everyone in the public-transport sector – from jeepney drivers to large bus conglomerates – have claimed that the Marcos administration’s reluctance to implement fare hikes are forcing many of them on the brink of halting operations amid high costs of fuel, maintenance and other expenses.
In an open letter published Tuesday, September 22, a coalition of bus operators in the Philippines urged the national government to act on their petitions for "fair and sustainable" fare rates.
The letter was issued by the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines, the Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Nangangasiwa ng Panlalawigan Bus sa Pilipinas, Soluboa, and the Mega Manila Consortium Corporation.
Operators said the recent round of oil price hikes have made it very difficult for them to continue serving their commuters and maintain high standards of bus operations.
Added to this is the government's relentless push for transport modernization that has led companies to make loans, as well as high costs of maintenance and the recent tranche of minimum wage hikes.
While they understand that any fare adjustment will also have an impact on commuters, the group asserted that "keeping fare artificially below the actual cost of service" will ultimately result in a "lose-lose" situation for the transport industry.
"We continue to operate because our franchises carry a public responsibility. Now, Government must fulfill its corresponding responsibility: to ensure that the public transport system it regulates remains financially capable of serving the Filipino people," the statement read.
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