President Marcos suspends PUV fare hike, assures support for public transport sector

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of a planned fare hike, stating that it's not the right moment to increase transportation costs amid ongoing global tensions.

In a video message on Wednesday, March 18, Marcos said he directed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to defer the fare adjustment following concerns over the impact of the Middle East conflict on fuel prices.

"Sa aking palagay, dahil may problema pa rin tayo sa giyera sa Middle East, sabi ko siguro hindi ito ang panahon para magtaas ng pamasahe para sa ating mga kababayan," Marcos said.

"Kaya't inutos ko sa DOTr na suspendihin muna ang fare hike at i-defer muna natin 'yan. I-postponan muna natin 'yan dahil nasa gitna ngayon tayo nitong sitwasyon na ito na kailangan ay patuloy ang ating pag-alalay sa ating mga commuter, sa lahat ng ating mga manggagawa, estudyante, lahat ng gumagamit ng ating transport system," he added.

The President assured transport workers that the government would step up assistance to the sector to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs.

He also instructed the DOTr to roll out free rides nationwide and implement fare discounts in the MRT and LRT systems.

"Pwede po ninyong gamitin muna 'yan para pangbawas gastos sa pang-araw-araw," Marcos said.

Marcos further ordered toll discounts on major expressways to reduce travel expenses for motorists.

"Huwag pong mag-alala ang ating mga transport workers dahil ah mamadaliin po namin, dadagdagan po namin ang suporta sa inyo para naman ay hindi kayo masyadong mahirapan," he said.

"Kahit na may malaking gulo na nangyayari ay basta't kaunti lang ang mararamdaman o sana man kung kaya naming gawin sana walang mararamdaman ng ating taong bayan sa kanilang araw-araw na pagtrabaho sa ating mga estudyante na araw-araw pumapasok," Marcos said.

He added that the government will continue exploring measures “to ensure that the citizens' lives remain normal, orderly, and safe.”

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) had earlier approved a petition for fare increases covering most public utility vehicles following a series of fuel price hikes.

-Paraluman News