CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — The regional office of Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-10) has advised commuters not to pay the new fare if drivers will not post the fare matrix on the public utility vehicles (PUVs).
“Drivers cannot collect the new fare rate if they don’t have the ‘taripa.’ No fare matrix, no adjusted fare,” said Aminoden Guro, LTFRB-10 regional director, in an interview Friday.
He added passengers are not required to pay the increased fare if the driver cannot show the fare matrix. Drivers must first place the new fare matrix on their vehicles.
The LTFRB has recently approved the Php 1 fare increase for PUVs including traditional and modernized jeepneys effective Monday, October 3, 2022.
The new minimum fare for the traditional jeepney is Php 12 for the first four kilometers and an add-on charge of Php 1.80 for the succeeding kilometer.
From Php 13, modernized PUVs will now collect a minimum fare of Php 14 for the first four kilometers and Php 2.20 for the succeeding kilometer.
Meanwhile, taxis will now have a flag-down rate of Php 45 from Php 40. Guro said the LTFRB will not recalibrate their meter but drivers will add Php 5 to the total fare.
“If the driver can show only the old fare matrix, then he can only collect the old fare,” he said.
The fare matrix contains the corresponding rates per designated loading and unloading area.
Guro has also warned drivers not to use a duplicated fare matrix as the LTFRB only issues one per PUV where its registration details are printed.
In a separate interview, Joel Gabatan, coordinator of the National Confederation of Transport Union (NCTU) in Northern Mindanao, said their organization has also reminded its member-drivers not to collect the adjusted fare without the fare matrix.
“They have already been made aware of this. If they overcharge their passengers, there will be penalties,” he said.
Gabatan said even though the fare increase will not lift the drivers and their families out of poverty, it will help them get by.
“With the loosening of the health restrictions and the face-to-face classes, and with the fare increase, they (drivers) can now somehow manage due to the added income,” he said.
Per NCTU’s calculation, the new fare will increase the driver’s average take-home pay by at least Php 200.
“So, if they’re earning, say, P600 a day, with the additional fare, that will become P800,” Gabatan said. (davaotoday.com)
