As the Philippines’ oil price hike deals a major blow to motorists, commuters look to alternative modes of transportation, such as trains, buses, jeepneys, bicycles, and walking, even though the infrastructure for pedestrians and public transportation remains inadequate and in need of rehabilitation.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has implemented a staggered increase scheme to ease consumers into the surge in fuel prices, set for March 10 to 16. According to the DOE, local oil prices are set to climb by around P20 this week, as conflicts in the Middle East have prompted Iran to block the Strait of Hormuz, severely affecting global oil supply.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, March 10, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said, “In terms of supply, we are in good shape. And not only do we have inventory in the Philippines, [but] we are also awaiting some supplies coming in that are in transit.”
“The real problem here that everybody has to deal with is hindi natin alam kung gaano katagal ito,” he added.
‘Inefficient public transport’
To help Filipinos on their commute, lawmakers are proposing to waive MRT and LRT fares and increase the number of buses on the EDSA carousel.
Urging the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to give free MRT and LRT rides on Monday, March 9, Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña said, “Dahil kapos tayo sa mass transportation, those with resources opt to drive cars while ordinary workers have to settle for inefficient public transport options. Sana ngayong may krisis, maging impetus ito para bigyan ng pamahalaan ang publiko, mayaman man o mahirap, ng de-kalidad na mass transportation.” The DOTr recently waived fares for female passengers on the MRT-3 in celebration of National Women’s Day.
According to Inquirer, Manila Second District Rep. Rolando Valeriano, vice chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, also suggested that the DOTr should deploy more trains on the MRT-3 line and buses on the EDSA carousel to serve more passengers.
Cendaña and Valeriano’s proposals come as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) mulls increasing fare prices for public utility vehicles (PUV) such as jeepneys and UV Express vans, even as it eyes a fuel subsidy program for drivers of PUVs, metered taxis, and transport network vehicle services.
The budget for the subsidy program is currently at P2.5 billion, ABS-CBN reports, with P1.3 billion set aside for LTFRB-franchised vehicles. Under the program, drivers will be given debit cards with an allocated balance they can use at gas stations.
