The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has asked transport groups to submit additional documents to justify their fare hike petition which still needs to undergo thorough review by other agencies.
LTFRB spokesman Zoj Daphne Usita said during an interview at PTV Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon on August 20 said that on Monday, the LTFRB, conducted a formal hearing to address the pending fare hike petition from transport groups. As part of due process, the board requested additional position papers from stakeholders.
Usita said transport groups requested an additional P1 provisional increase, effectively pushing for P2 in total provisional fare hikes. On top of this, they are also asking for a P5 fare increase.
In October 2023, the LTFRB granted a provisional increase of P1. This raised the base fare to P13 for traditional jeepneys and P15 for modern jeepneys.
The LTFRB directed petitioners to submit additional position papers after their justifications were wanting. These documents would undergo thorough evaluation by the LTFRB’S technical team and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and would also coordinate with National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) for further evaluation, as the fare adjustment may have economic implications.
Under existing rules, the process of approval for fare hike adjustment includes formal hearings, submission of all required documents, review by LTFRB and DOTr and consultation with NEDA only after this multi-agency study will have made a final decision.
“It’s not a simple process and it will take some time. The decision will be based on justifiable grounds and a balanced review before issuing any order,” the spokesman said
On August 11, transport groups PASANG MASDA, ALTODAP, and ACTO filed a petition to declare the previous P1 provisional fare hike granted in October 2023 as permanent, and to grant an additional P2 provisional increase bringing the base fare to P15 for traditional PUJs and from P14 to P19 for modern PUJs.
