LTFRB Chairperson Cheloy Garafil concedes it’s time to raise the fare for jeepneys, following yet another oil price hike happening tomorrow that raises the price of diesel by P6.10 per liter.
In the virtual briefing Garafil held today, 29 August, she said the only question now is by how much the fare should rise. She noted that a fare hike is long overdue given that the last time jeepney operators and drivers had petitioned for such an increase, diesel was selling at only P44 per liter, while the price has nearly doubled at this point. The current pending petition asks that the minimum jeepney fare be raised by P3-P4.
Garafil said that while the LTFRB recognizes the dire situation of jeepney drivers and the need for a fake hike, they will also take into consideration the impact of any fare increase on inflation and the public’s purchasing power before making any decision. The agency will make its decision “at the latest by the second week of September,” according to Garafil, once it has received the required position paper from the jeepney operators on 3 September.