TRANSPORT groups are pushing for a ₱2 increase in minimum public transport fares and are considering a nationwide protest as rising fuel costs — driven by tensions between the United States and Iran — continue to eat into their income.
MANIBELA chairperson Mar Valbuena explained that a ₱1 adjustment would no longer be sufficient, noting that operators and drivers have yet to recover losses incurred since March. “We want at least ₱2 because we still haven’t recovered from our losses since then. We hope the President will grant our request; if the earlier scheduled hike had been implemented, a ₱1 increase would have been enough,” he said.
Valbuena emphasized that the value of the previously proposed ₱1 hike has effectively doubled since it was first raised, before the latest geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher. “That request was made before the conflict flared up and was never granted.
Offering the same amount now ignores how much more expensive fuel and other expenses have become,” he added. ACTO president Libay de Luna echoed the call, stressing that the current fare rates no longer cover the actual cost of operations, leaving many drivers struggling to make ends meet.
The groups have warned that if their appeal is not acted upon favorably, they are prepared to stage a nationwide strike to highlight their plight.
They pointed out that fuel price hikes have been relentless, while fare adjustments have been delayed or kept at levels that barely make a dent in their growing expenses. Transport authorities have yet to issue a formal response to the latest petition, but the looming threat of a work stoppage underscores the urgency of addressing the sector’s concerns amid volatile global oil markets.
metrosundaily
