ORANI, Bataan — Passenger jeepney drivers in Bataan on Tuesday considered the new hike in diesel price as having defeated and surpassed the increase in fare granted to them last week by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
From P69.05 per liter of diesel Monday night, it rose to P75.90 Tuesday morning or an increase of P6.85. Passenger jeepneys commonly use diesel for their engines.
Jeepney drivers plying the Orani – Balanga City route said their income was again greatly affected by the new oil price hike.
“Mahirap para sa amin dahil ang pamasahe ay P4 lang ang itinaas samantalang ang krudo ay nagtaas ng P6 kaya parang balewala lang din ang itinaas ng pamasahe dahil mas higit pa doon ang itinaas ng krudo,” jeepney driver Jorge Resurreccion said.
The fare per passenger from Orani to Balanga from its old rate of P26 was increased to P30 or an additional of P4.
“Sa dagdag na P4 kahit papaano ay kumikita kami ng P300 sa isang araw pero ngayong nagtaas ang krudo ay halos P150 na lang ang maiuuwi namin para sa pamilya na kulang pa para sa pagkain namin maghapon,” Resurreccion said.
He and other drivers appealed to government: “Kung maaari po sana masolusyunan ang pagtaas ng krudo para naman ang mga driver kumita naman kahit kaunti para masolusyunan ang pangangailangan ng pamilya at ang maintenance pa ng sasakyan namin na halos hindi na makuha.”
“Ang gusto lang namin ay masolusyunan ang pagtaas ng krudo at kung magtataas sana ay maliit lang,” the driver said.
Resurreccion said only LTFRB can approve of any fare increase and they cannot just dictate the fare they wanted. “Kawawa naman ang mga commuter kung magtataas na naman ng pamasahe.”
