Manila: The municipal government of La Trinidad has urged public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers and operators in the town to reduce their voluntarily increased fare rates, following a recent decline in oil prices.

According to Philippines News Agency, the municipality had previously approved Resolution No. 189-2006, which supported a voluntary provisional fare increase due to escalating fuel costs. This resolution was established through community consultations and dialogue, setting the minimum fare at PHP20 for the first four kilometers, with an additional PHP2 for each subsequent kilometer, when fuel prices surged to approximately PHP150 per liter.

Vice Mayor Guiller Galwan stated that the voluntary fare adjustments were initially adopted in response to the heightened fuel prices and operating costs. However, with the recent decrease in oil prices, he emphasized the need to reassess and potentially reduce these voluntary fare adjustments. Despite this, many PUJ drivers and operators continue to charge beyond the minimum rate of PHP13 for the first four kilometers.

In neighboring Baguio City, jeepney drivers have already reduced their voluntary fare hike to PHP16 for the first four kilometers following the drop in fuel prices. Additionally, the city government has introduced a 'backload subsidy' to motivate drivers to return to the central business district without passengers and transport waiting commuters back to the barangays.

The initial voluntary fare increase in both Baguio and La Trinidad was a response to a sharp rise in fuel prices, resulting in long queues of passengers late into the night. The fare hike was agreed upon to encourage drivers to continue operating their routes without having to wait for a full load of passengers to cover fuel costs.