A group of transport network vehicle service (TNVS) providers yesterday urged the government to approve the P15-hike in the base fare as prices of fuel continue to rise.
Saturnino Mopas, a TNVS representative, said in a phone interview the TNVS community is asking the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to approve the request for base fare increase filed last November, following the continued price increase of commodities and fuel.
This will raise the base fare to P55 from the current P40, once approved by the government.
Although the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through LTFRB, has included the TNVS drivers in the fuel subsidy that is being distributed from March 14 to 25, Mopas said the TNVS sector urgently needs the base fare increase to help it cope with the rising fuel prices.
The TNVS community, which has over 25,000 active drivers, lauded the support provided by a transport network company (TNC) such as fuel vouchers, working capital loans and assistance funds.
At present, Grab Philippines is the lone TNC operating in the country. By the end of this month, ride-hailing firm JoyRide is set to start its operation in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as well as in Metro Cebu.
Arthur Tugade, DOTr secretary, earlier said the DOTr opposed the implementation of the fare increase despite the uncontrollable fuel price hike as the government will rather continue the service contracting program to give free rides to commuters and distribute the P2.5 billion fuel subsidy for public transportation such as the jeepney, bus, tricycle, taxi and TNVS.
In a related development, John Timothy Batan, DOTr undersecretary for railways, said during the Laging Handa virtual briefing there is no fare increase in all rail systems in Metro Manila.
Currently, ridership in the three railway systems have yet revert to pre-pandemic levels with Metro Rail Transit line 3’s daily ridership at around 240,000, Light Rail Transit line 1 (LRT-1) at about 200,000 and LRT-2 at 60,000, compared to the 300,000, 400,000 and 160,000 daily ridership before the pandemic, respectively.
Batan said the government continues to offer free antigen testing at the rail stations and there are no positive cases now.
