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The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
board has approved the provisionary 50-centavo fare increase that
will peg the fares of public utility jeepneys at P8, LTFRB Chairman
Thompson Lantion revealed Tuesday.
Lantion, however, made it clear that the agency
is still studying the transport groups’ demand for a fare hike,
which will result in the minimum fare reaching P9.
“We at the LTFRB need another hearing to
finalize the increase because we still want to hear all sides,”
Lantion said.
In a related development, the Federation of
Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (Fejodap)
and the I-United Transport Koalisyon threatened to “take their
petition to the streets” should they fail to secure a favorable
ruling from the LTFRB. Both groups refused to join on Monday’s
transport holiday led by Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators
Nationwide or Piston.
Fejodap is asking for a P1.50 fare increase at
the minimum in the National Capital Region, Southern Tagalog and
Central Luzon, and an additional 50 centavos for the succeeding
kilometers.
LTFRB officials earlier said that they need 15
days to review the transport groups’ petition.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
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