Davide hopes fare rollback soon

In time for the holiday season, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III is hoping that the fare rollback for buses in Cebu would be implemented immediately for the benefit of the riding public.

According to Davide, he is just waiting for the Provincial Board to give him authority to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the group of bus and minibus operators in Cebu.

If a MOA would be signed, it would then be agreed that the reduced fare rate would be implemented and the provincial government would help carry out the order.

Richard Corominas, president of the Cebu Provincial Bus Operators Association and Julieto Flores, president of the Cebu South Mini-bus Operators Association, have earlier backed the proposal to reduce the fare rate in the province after the successive rollbacks in the price of fuel.

At present, the fare rate for buses and mini-buses is at P6 for the first five kilometers and P1.20 for every succeeding kilometer.

If the fare reduction would be implemented, the P6 would be reduced to P5 and the succeeding kilometers would be down to P1.

Davide said that this would be a form of a Christmas gift from the bus and mini- bus operators to the riding public.

In Manila, the fare reduction has already been implemented from P8.50 down to P7.50 while in Cebu, a public hearing is still set on December 17 to discuss the concern.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regu- latory Board-7 is urging the riding public and the PUV drivers and operators to take part in the public hearing which will start at 9 a.m.

LTFRB-7 director Reynaldo Elnar, though, proposed to implement a provisional P.50 fare reduction while waiting for the result of the public hearing.

Elnar said that they will submit to their central office the request for the provisional fare reduction in the region. —