Panayam kay Atty. Bong Suntay, Pres., Philippine National Taxi Operators Assoc.| UB

GMA Integrated News

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00:00 Some taxi operators are appealing for a 70 pesos plugdown rate or a minimum of taxi fare due to the rising price of petroleum products.

00:10 We will now call the President of the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association, Atty. Bong Suntay. Good morning.

00:17 Good morning Egan. Good morning.

00:20 Did LTFRB respond to this appeal?

00:23 Egan, in fact, that appeal is one year pending because that was the original petition filed by the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association way back in 2021.

00:37 Isn't this too heavy for passengers?

00:42 This is what happened. The last fare increase that was given, the last responsive fare increase that was given to the industrial taxi was way back in 2017.

00:52 The price of gasoline in 2017 ranged between 34 to 38 pesos. Now, the price of gasoline is at 68 pesos.

01:05 We did not ask for an increase in every kilometer. What we said was the barest minimum that the industrial taxi requested was the plugdown rate.

01:17 Way back in 2022, the bus, jeep and TNVS, the entire petition was granted by LTFRB.

01:27 Meanwhile, the taxi, what we did in our original petition, we only gave an additional five pesos.

01:36 In fact, we did not avail that additional five pesos. We filed a motion for reconsideration immediately.

01:44 What we said is, our drive-by was the additional 30 pesos petition. We are just repeating that. We did not file a new one.

01:55 But now, it's 40 pesos.

01:58 Yes 40 pesos.

02:00 But how much is the amount that goes to the taxi driver?

02:03 Now, our drivers are not earning any more.

02:07 But the operator is earning.

02:09 This is the situation. I'm saying that the operator is not earning any more. I'm saying everything. But I think you will notice that in the taxi lines, when you go to the malls,

02:22 you will notice that there's no longer the same as before, where you can see a lot of EMP, dollar taxi, basic taxi, Starbee, EFE.

02:35 The fleet operators are gone.

02:38 But it's not closed.

02:40 It's not closed. Some are closed but the others, our utilization rate is 53 percent.

02:49 Tomorrow, there's a high price. What will happen?

02:55 That's true. In fact, constantly. That's why we filed way back in 2021.

03:03 Aside from the pandemic problem in our country, in the drive-by, in the industry, the price of gasoline is increasing.

03:15 That's why we filed a petition with other transportation companies.

03:21 How much is the boundary of taxi drivers now?

03:26 This is what's funny. The boundary of taxi drivers now is between P900 to P1,300.

03:34 It's the same boundary that we filed with drivers way back 15 years ago.

03:43 Okay.

03:45 It's not increasing. We didn't increase it. That's why it's not true that the operator wants a fare increase to increase the boundary.

03:57 That's not true. We want a fare increase to earn the driver.

04:02 If the driver earns, they will issue a taxi.

04:06 If they issue a taxi, the operator will earn because their units are being utilized.

04:12 That's the dominant issue.

04:16 Okay. Let's wait for that issue. Thank you very much.

04:20 Atty. Bong Sun of the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association. Be careful.

04:23 Okay. Be careful. Thank you.

04:27 (Continues in Tagalog)

04:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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