LAND Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) authorities on Saturday said they have discussed with concerned agencies and other stakeholders about the “best support system” that can be given to the public transport sector amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.
In a statement, the LTFRB said that aside from reviewing and recomputing the appropriate fare increase based on pending petitions ordered by Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, the agency’s chairman, Vigor Mendoza II, said discussions are also ongoing on “sustaining, expanding and increasing the fuel discount” as an alternative. “We are factoring everything into the review and recomputation, which includes the difficulty caused by the unpredictable and unstable situation in the Middle East,” Mendoza said. According to the LTFRB, proposals for possible fuel discounts were discussed. “Amid the discussions, there were proposals that the ongoing fuel discount be expanded and increased to cover the additional operational costs that the public utility vehicle (PUV) sector has been raising,” the LTFRB’s statement read. “Currently, the P10 per liter fuel discount covers passenger jeepneys and UV Express, the most common modes of transportation being used by Filipino commuters on their way to workplaces and back to their homes,” it added. Also, the agency said that 87,000 PUVs have benefited from the P10-per-liter fuel discount, and based on their latest data, the number of PUVs listed in their system already surpasses 143,000. “We are looking into this proposal as the last option because the discussions on the matter are ongoing, and these discussions include public consultations with stakeholders nationwide,” Mendoza stated. “Increasing and expanding the fuel discount is the most logical and practical measure in the middle of the uncertainty on the situation in the Middle East. This will be factored in the ongoing discussions,” he added. The LTFRB chief said increasing the fuel discount and expanding it to cover as many PUVs would entail “huge budgets,” following arguments raised by supporters of the fuel discount claiming that this will not hurt commuters and the public because of concerns about the inflation effects of any fare hike.
