COMMUTERS will pay more for jeepney, bus, transport network vehicle (TNV) and airport taxi rides starting Monday, as the Department of Transportation (DOTr) approved fare adjustments for public utility vehicles (PUVs) that had been suspended since March.
Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez approved the recommendation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to implement the adjustments, citing the continued rise in fuel prices and its impact on the transport sector.
‘The existing PUV fares are the fares from before the fuel crisis. That is why they are no longer enough for our drivers and operators to earn a decent income. This fare increase is timely so we can ensure there are enough PUVs on the road and our commuters have rides,’ Lopez said in Filipino.
Under the approved rates, the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys rises 7.7 percent to P14 from P13 for the first four kilometers, while the rate for every kilometer thereafter climbs 11.1 percent to P2 from P1.80.
Modern jeepneys will charge a minimum fare of P17 for the first four kilometers, up 13.3 percent from P15, and P2.40 for every succeeding kilometer, up 9.1 percent from P2.20.
For city buses, the minimum fare for ordinary units increases 15.4 percent to P15 from P13 for the first five kilometers, with the succeeding-kilometer rate rising 10.7 percent to P2.49 from P2.25. Air-conditioned city buses will charge P18 for the first five kilometers, up 20 percent from P15, and P2.98 per succeeding kilometer, up 12.5 percent from P2.65.
Provincial buses also get higher rates. The minimum fare for ordinary units rises 9.1 percent to P12 from P11 for the first five kilometers, while the succeeding-kilometer rate climbs 15.8 percent to P2.20 from P1.90. Per-kilometer rates for other classes increase as follows: Air-conditioned: 16.7 percent to P2.45 from P2.10; Deluxe: 15.6 percent to P2.60 from P2.25; Super deluxe: 14.9 percent to P2.70 from P2.35; and Luxury: 15.5 percent to P3.35 from P2.90.
Transport network vehicle services (TNVS) receive some of the steepest increases. Rates for hatchbacks rise 57.1 percent to P55 from P35, sedans 44.4 percent to P65 from P45, AUVs and SUVs 36.4 percent to P75 from P55, and premium units 13.8 percent to P165 from P145. A pick-up fare of P15 per kilometer was also approved.
Airport taxis will charge P115 for the first 500 meters, up 53.3 percent from P75, while the P4 rates for every 300 meters and every two minutes remain unchanged.
Point-to-point (P2P) bus services were granted a 15-percent increase on existing fares.
Traditional UV Express units can start charging P2.60 per kilometer, up 8.3 percent from P2.40, and modern units, P3 per kilometer, up 20 percent from P2.50.
For regular taxis, the DOTr approved a 30 percent increase to P65 from P50, premium silver taxis 60 percent to P80 from P50, and premium gold taxis 58.3 percent to P95 from P60.
The DOTr and LTFRB had consulted with various transport groups before the rates were first approved in March.
‘We thank our transport groups as well as our commuters for your understanding while we studied these fare adjustments. Any decision the agency makes really has to be balanced. You are our top priority in all the programs we implement at the DOTr,’ Lopez said.
PUVs must post their updated fare matrices in their units before charging passengers the new rates. The complete matrices can be downloaded from the LTFRB website.
Lopez also ordered PUVs to keep granting the mandatory 20-percent fare discount to students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
The National Federation of Transport Cooperatives said the approval recognizes the real costs borne by drivers and operators amid the continued rise in oil prices, and asked the public to understand the change.
‘The additional peso is not just a number, but food, school allowance and payment for the promise of every family that depends on driving,’ the group said in Filipino.
Bus operators Victory Liner and Genesis Transport Service Inc. issued identical statements saying that the ‘fare adjustment provides essential support for operators to continue dispatching safe and roadworthy buses, maintain routes, protect jobs and serve communities throughout the country.’
The bus operators said they recognized that the increase adds to the burden of passengers already coping with a higher cost of living.
‘It is not a reason for celebration, but a necessary measure to help preserve the public transport service on which millions of Filipinos depend,’ they said.
TNVS Community Philippines (TCP) said in a statement that the adjustment ‘is not only financial help amid economic challenges; it is a major recognition of the value and dignity of every TNVS driver and operator who strives every day to deliver safe, reliable and quality service.’