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A consumer group on Monday proposed a multisectoral burden-sharing
program in which public utility vehicle drivers adopt fuel-efficient
technologies that enable them to absorb the rising costs of fuel.
Elvie Medina, president of the National Council
for Commuter Protection Inc., said consumers need not always bear
the burden of fuel price hikes by absorbing increases in fares.
“Government must absorb part of the burden by
seeking ways or providing all forms of support to ease the burden by
preventing a fare hike. The transport sector, on the other hand,
must also contribute its share by absorbing the rising costs of fuel
by becoming more fuel-efficient,” Medina added.
Medina lauded the position of the Luzviminda
Transportation Federation, which is the only transport group that
has not filed for a new round of fare hikes.
Dave Garcia, an engineer and clean air program
director of Atinto Development Services, said that there are many
policy options and programs, which will enable the transport sector
to absorb the rising fuel prices.
He said that one option that the transport
sector can directly undertake is the adoption of fuel-efficient
clean air technologies that can generate fuel savings of 10 to 30
percent or more.
“At the current price of diesel at P38 per
liter, a 10- to 30-percent savings can mean an effective price
rollback of diesel by as much as P3.80 to P11.40 per liter, which is
enough to absorb the fuel price hikes,” he said.
Garcia said that there are many technological
options for the sector to choose from: engine cleansers, filtration
systems, oil additives, fuel additives, engine restorers, gas
vaporizers, air bleeders, electronic air-fuel ionizers, oil filter
magnets, magnetic fuel clamps, catalytic converters, and alternative
fuels like liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas and
biofuels. Replacing old engines or restoring worn-out engines can
also be considered.
Section 11 of the Clean Air Act stipulates that
information on the best technologies, systems and practices should
be made available to users.
Garcia added that the proposed lifting of oil
tariffs should not be pursued. Instead, proceeds from oil tariffs,
estimated to be about P11 billion, can be channeled to support the
transport sector’s adoption of clean air technologies.
-- Francis Earl A. Cueto
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