Commuters group opposes proposed jeepney 'surge fee'

A commuter group on Monday opposed the petition for a "surge fee" in jeepney fare during rush hour and called on the government to implement lasting solutions to the increasing price of fuel.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) founder Rodolfo Javellana Jr. said commuters are also affected by the fuel price hike, not only jeepney drivers.

“Magkakaroon tayo ng malaking problema sa bahagi ng mga commuters kung pahihintulutan po ito [There will be a big problem if the surge fee is approved],” he said.

“Sapagkat alam naman po natin na matindi ang pinagdaanang hirap ng ating mga kababayan, hindi lang po ng mga tsuper kundi sa pangkalahatan na publiko natin ay hirap na po sa kanilang kabuhayan lalo nang sunod-sunod yung pagsirit nitong presyo ng petrolyo,” he added.

(We all know that our people, not only drivers, but the entire public, are struggling with their livelihood especially with the series of fuel price hikes.)

Transport group Pasang Masda on Monday said it wants to charge a P1 “surge fee” to commuters during rush hour to offset the effects of fuel price increases.

Instead of implementing “temporary” and “piecemeal” solutions, Javellana called on the Marcos administration to come up with lasting measures that would address the price hikes in fuel products.

He suggested removing the excise tax as well as the expanded value added tax on fuel to reduce its price.

According to Javellana, both houses of Congress should review the Oil Deregulation Law so that big companies will no longer have full control over fuel prices.

The State should also have enough buffer stock of petroleum products that it can sell for cheaper price, he added.

Javellana urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to consider using his power to temporarily control the operations of firms involved in public utilities which he said is allowed under Article 12 Section 17 and 18 of the Constitution.

“In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately-owned public utility or business affected with public interest,” Section 17 read.

“The State may, in the interest of national welfare or defense, establish and operate vital industries and, upon payment of just compensation, transfer to public ownership utilities and other private enterprises to be operated by the Government,” Section 18 read.

Meanwhile, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officer-in-charge Riza Marie Paches said they received the petition for surge fee on Friday, October 14, and endorsed it to their legal team for a hearing.

“Sa proseso po ng pagtaas at pagbaba ng pamasahe, binibigyan po natin sila ng chance to be heard so yung petition naman ay hindi naman automatic na igra-grant. May proseso po tayo,” she said in an interview on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

(In the process of increasing and reducing the fare, we give them the chance to be heard so the petition would not be granted automatically. We have a process.)

She said the LTFRB will ask the opinion of affected stakeholders and other agencies like the  National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) during the hearing. —KBK, GMA News