Bypassing stakeholders in LTFRB’s fare rollback ‘unreasonable’ — transport group

Transport group Pasang Masda on Tuesday said that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) did not follow the rules and procedures in releasing the provisional authority that brought the minimum jeepney fare back to P9.

"This is very unreasonable naman itong ginawa nila sa amin na ito. Hindi ho makatao sa aking pananaw, hindi nararapat. Dapat nagkaroon ng pag-uusap man lang," Pasang Masda president Obet Martin said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

"Wag naman nating bastusin 'yung proseso.Bigyan kami ng halaga sapagkat kami ay nagpapahalaga sa kanila. Sumusunod kami sa mga kagustuhan ng board at kami naman ay nagbibigay ng magagandang input," he added.

Martin said the transport stakeholders were deprived of the chance to engage in discussions regarding the rollback because the supposed LTFRB hearing on Tuesday was cancelled.

On Monday, the LTFRB released a provisional authority that orders a decrease of P1 in the minimum jeepney fare, bringing it back to P9.

Pasang Masda's leader said their group had been willing to suggest a voluntary reduction of fare amid the series of price cuts in petroleum products.

What offended him was that the procedure had not been followed accordingly by the LTFRB, citing that when jeepney operators and drivers previously filed a petition for a fare increase, the ruling took a year to be released because due process had to be observed.

"May proseso, kahit na provisional authority 'yan prinoseso kami nang almost a year, naghirap ang driver... 'Yun pong agony, 'yun pong hirap ng mga driver na sinagupa ang mataas na presyo [ng produktong petrolyo] para makapagserbisyo," Martin said.

"Hindi ho kami umangal dahil meron kaming inaaasahan na darating ang panahon ibibigay ito at a reasonable time but unreasonable po 'yung one year," he added.

Martin said that he will consult his lawyer and possibly set a schedule to meet with LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III and board member Ronaldo Corpus regarding the recently released provisional authority.

On Tuesday, outgoing LTFRB board member Aileen Lizada claimed that a higher rollback on the minimum jeepney fare could have been implemented if the proper process was followed. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News