PUBLIC transport commuters are now feeling the effects of the lesser number of public utility vehicles (PUV) on the road even as PUV drivers and operators underscored their plight amid another expected diesel hike this week that, they say, would push them to the brink of poverty.
Over the weekend, transport groups had already warned government and the public that commuters may face more difficulties in securing rides given another pump price hike expected tomorrow morning.
According to Samahan ng Mga Transport Operators ng Pilipinas (STOP) managing director Juliet de Jesus, there may be fewer vehicles plying the roads in the coming week should there be another increase in domestic pump prices, particularly diesel which is used by most PUVs.
“Asahan po ninyo, kung nagkulang man ng sasakyan nitong week na ito, baka mas marami po magkukulang by next week kung sakali po ayan na naman, meron na namang increase sa diesel,” De Jesus said in a television interview recently.
Sources from the Department of Energy (DoE) announced that diesel prices are expected to be increased again between PhP1.00 and PhP1.30 per liter while gasoline prices could either be hiked by P0.10 to P0.20 per liter or rolled back by P0.05 per liter.
According to De Jesus, the government should consider scaling back the excise taxes on petroleum products by half or else scrap such tariffs temporarily. However, the Department of Finance (DoF) has continued to resist this due to the foregone revenues the measure will cause.
In interviews by Maharlika TV News, both PUV drivers and commuters complained about government’s seeming indifference over their plight, which has pushed them to near hunger and deprivation.
“Hirap kami pumasok dahil wala kaming masakyan papunta sa aming trabaho. Dito sa Vito Cruz, marami na sa mga dating bumibiyahe rito ng Zobel Roxas o Dulo ang tumigil nang mamasada kaya halis wala na kami masakyan at kung mayroon mang matiyempuhan ay agawan at punuan na ng pasahero,” one commuter noted.
Ellie, a PUV driver that plyed the aforementioned route, claimed that he hardly gas enough earnings to bring to his family but he has not stopped from driving his passenger jeepney simply because he owned it and he is able to earn slightly bigger than those who have to remit their so-called boundary to their operator.
“Mabuti na lang sariling jeep ko itong pinapasada ko dahil kung hindi ay tumigil ba rin ako sa pamamasada at ibinenta ko na lang ang aking binabiyahe dahil lugi ako kung magbabayad pa ako ng boundary,” he stressed.
