LTFRB to announce PUV fare hikes Tuesday amid fuel surge

📷: PNA

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will announce new fare rates for passenger jeepneys and buses in Metro Manila on Tuesday, coinciding with another round of double-digit fuel price hikes.

LTFRB Chair Vigor Mendoza II said the adjustments are meant to ease the burden on drivers as diesel prices are expected to breach ₱100 per liter this week.

He noted the increases will be higher than earlier recommendations to the Department of Transportation, citing the impact of the Iran war and successive oil price surges.

Mendoza stressed that fares cannot be raised too steeply to avoid worsening inflation, adding that the board coordinated with other agencies before finalizing the decision.

“We need a more long-lasting solution as far as public transport is concerned. And this fare adjustment is what we have seen to help our struggling public utility vehicle drivers and operators,” he said in a radio interview on Sunday.

The LTFRB last approved a jeepney fare hike in October 2023, raising the minimum fare by ₱1. Transport groups have since sought further increases, with Piston pushing for a ₱5 hike, citing diesel costs that have risen by about ₱50 since October.

Taxi and UV Express fare petitions remain pending, subject to hearings and consultations. # (ZIA LUNA)