Article by:
Ercel Maandig
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Northern Mindanao (Region 10) has warned the public and the transport sector that no fare increase has been authorized for public utility vehicles unless an official directive is issued by the Central Office, an official announced Monday.
LTFRB-10 Director Alexes Joseph Bendijo engaged with public transport drivers, reminding them to strictly adhere to the conditions of their Certificates of Public Convenience and to refrain from collecting additional fares beyond approved rates.
Provincial public utility bus operators and drivers were also reminded that any new fare increase shall take effect only upon the posting of the duly approved fare matrix.
Despite this, Vallacar Transit Inc., which operates the Rural Transit bus line on major Mindanao routes, said in a statement that it will impose an additional per-kilometer fare increase on every route. The company cited the adjustment as recently implemented by LTFRB amid unstable fuel costs in the world market caused by ongoing conflicts in Iran, Ukraine, and Russia, which have greatly affected operating costs.
Meanwhile, Bendijo said 10,369 beneficiaries in Northern Mindanao's public transport cooperatives have already been listed for the Fuel Subsidy Program, subject to validation at the Central Office.
"This development reflects our continued commitment at LTFRB Region 10 to support and assist transport stakeholders in sustaining their operations amid the continuing increase in fuel prices," Bendijo said in an interview. (PNA)
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