MANILA — Malacañang wants government assistance to public transport drivers and operators exhausted first before allowing higher fares, as soaring fuel prices intensify pressure on the transport sector and trigger renewed calls for fare adjustments.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Marcos administration remains reluctant to pass higher operating costs on to commuters and considers a fare increase a last resort.
“Sana po ‘yun ang magiging last resort. ‘Yun ang panalangin,” Castro said when asked about pending proposals to increase fares.
She stressed, however, that the government has not completely shut the door on a fare adjustment should rising fuel and operating costs become increasingly difficult for transport operators to absorb.
“Hindi po kasi sa ngayon inclined talaga na magtaas ng pamasahe para sa ating mga kababayan, pero hindi po naman sinasara ang pintuan patungkol po dito,” she added.
Castro said officials are assessing measures that could provide relief to drivers and operators without immediately increasing the financial burden on passengers.
“Hangga’t kakayanin lang po na ibigay muna ang tulong sa ating mga tsuper sa transport sector nang hindi tataas ang pamasahe, ‘yun po muna ang ginagawa ng administrasyon,” Castro said.
Any proposed fare adjustment would still have to go through the appropriate recommendation process before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. makes a decision.
The Palace position comes as transport groups press for higher fares amid rising fuel prices, operating expenses and financial obligations associated with vehicle modernization.
The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahang Tsuper at Operator Nationwide is also set to stage a two-day transport strike on September 29 and 30.
Castro said the government could not prevent transport groups from holding the planned protest.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is preparing its recommendation on pending fare adjustment petitions and is expected to submit it to the Department of Transportation by October.
Among the factors the LTFRB is considering are commuters’ capacity to absorb higher transportation costs, government assistance available to drivers and operators, and the potential inflationary impact of a fare increase.
The government has been rolling out measures to cushion the transport sector from high fuel prices, including fuel assistance and other subsidies, as it seeks to keep public transportation financially viable without immediately shifting the additional costs to commuters.
The debate over fares is expected to intensify as fuel prices continue to squeeze public utility vehicle operators while the government tries to balance their need for financial relief against the impact of higher fares on millions of passengers./PN
