Transport group Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) on Tuesday walked out after being irked by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's (LTFRB) recommendation to submit a formal petition instead of a request letter for the jeepney fare hike.
"Umalis na kami. Nagpatawag ng hearing sa amin ang LTFRB para sa hiling naming jeepney fare hike, tapos sasabihin lamang sa amin na mag-formal petition kami," LTOP national President Ka Lando Marquez said.
Marquez said they have already submitted a request letter to the LTFRB for the P2 jeepney fare hike.
But he noted that if there is an automatic fare adjustment as stated under Section 4 of LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2019-035, LTFRB should not hold a series of hearings.
Maquiez added that the LTFRB should instead issue a decision for a provisional increase on their request.
"Tulad ngayon tumaas na naman ang presyo ng petrolyo, patuloy ang pagtaas, hihintayin pa ba natin na maging P10 ang oil price hike bago umaksyon ang LTFRB diyan e ngayon pa lang matindi na ang epekto ng pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina sa amin?" LTOP national President said.
On the request for a P2 fare hike by the jeepney group in the LTFRB hearing on Tuesday, LTFRB Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III recommended that a formal petition be submitted so that the process would be more appropriate and balance the effect of the oil price hike on commuters.
"Bakit hindi kinikilala ni Chairman Guadiz ang memorandum circular 2019-035? Aanuhin pa ang kabayo kung patay na ang damo.? Ang linaw ng memorandum nayan, hindi ba niya naiintindihan? Lupaypay na mga driver at operator sa epekto ng pagtaas ng presyo ng gasolina tapos gusto pa niya public hearing? E di kakain ng mahabang proseso ‘yan. Matagal ‘yan," said Marquez.
Meanwhile, since the LTFRB did not act on the request of some jeepney groups for a P2 fare hike on passenger jeepneys, the jeepney groups immediately filed a formal fare hike petition before the agency for a P1 provisional increase on jeepneys in Metro Manila.
In the petition, Ka Obet Martin of Pasang Masda, Boy Vargas of ALTODAP, and Liberty de Luna of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) said that they want to make the minimum fare in traditional public utility jeeps increase P13, or an additional one peso to the fare, and an additional P5 for the first four kilometers of the vehicle.
Currently, the minimum fare in a traditional jeep is P12.
The LTFRB chairman said that he will also take the side of the commuter groups so that the decision on the price of the jeep fare will be fair.
