Transport group pushes for ₱15 minimum jeepney fare

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 5) – A transport organization has filed a petition before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to increase the minimum jeepney fare amid soaring fuel prices in the country.

In its petition, the Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) proposed to hike the minimum jeepney fare from ₱9 to ₱15.

"Hindi namin gusto na tumaas ang ating pamasahe. Kaya lang, hindi na namin kaya. Sana intindihin kami ng mga mananakay," LTOP national president Orlando Marquez told CNN Philippines on Saturday.

[Translation: We do not want to raise fares. But, we can no longer bear the rising costs. I hope commuters will understand us.]

He said the LTFRB rejected their previous petition last October to increase the minimum jeepney fare to ₱12.

If their latest petition gets rejected by the LTFRB in a scheduled hearing on March 8th, Marquez suggested that the government consider reducing excise taxes on oil products.

Oil companies are expected to impose another hefty price hike next week - with industry sources projecting an increase of more than ₱5 per liter on diesel and around ₱3 per liter on gasoline.

The Department of Energy earlier assured the public that the Russia-Ukraine war will have no direct impact on the country's oil supply, despite Russia being a top oil-exporting nation.