THE Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) deferred on Monday the implementation of the provisional fare increase for buses and jeepneys after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) ordered the agency to further study the implications of the rate increase.

LTFRB chairman Thompson Lantion said the board decided to stop the scheduled implementation on Wednesday of the provisional increase as it needs to study several support mechanism for public-transport drivers and operators.

Lantion said the government is now eyeing the grant of a P2 oil subsidy and the tax exemption for the spare parts, instead of granting a provisional fare increase of 50 centavos for jeepneys, P1 for ordinary buses and P1.50 for air- conditioned buses.

Meanwhile, Efren de Luna, president of the Philippine Confederation of Drivers and Operators-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organization (PCDO-Acto) expressed disappointment on the actions of the LTFRB.

 “Nananawagan kami sa lahat ng transport leaders na magkaroon ng pagkakaisa para sa isang malaking transport strike sa mga susunod na araw, ayaw na naming maniwala kay Lantion, dapat sa kanya ay magbitiw na sa kanyang puwesto,” de Luna said.

He added the drivers were shocked by the DOTC’s order to defer the fare increase and the reasons the department put on hold the implementation of the provisional fare hike.

Lawyer Vigor Mendoza II, chairman of  United Transport Koalisyon (1-Utak), said an emergency meeting will be called to tackle the move of the DOTC, saying the actions of the government has created more confusion to the public and to all transport operators. 

“This is the first time that the government made an announcement of a fare increase only to defer it,” Mendoza added.

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TYPHOON Cosme veered away from the country on Monday but not after killing 12 people and injuring nine others, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

TIME is ticking for 28-year old Filipino worker May Vecina, who faces death by hanging in two months as President Arroyo appealed for the second time to the Kuwaiti Emir to lower the sentence to life imprisonment.

Senate President Manuel Villar kept his ranking as the richest Senator based on the statement of assets and liabilities filed by members of the chamber, breaching the billion-peso bar for the first time in declaring a net worth of P1,041,383,9246 last year.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Civil-society groups in this city have urged local residents and local government leaders to be active in the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), amid the snag in the negotiation and recent phased pullout of the Malaysian-led peacekeeping forces in Mindanao.

The National Police chief, Director General Avelino Razon Jr., made the rounds of key areas in Cubao, Quezon City, on Monday to personally assess the implementation of visibility patrols and checkpoint operations.

DAVAO CITY—This city is the only city outside three Metro Manila cities to have a population of more than 1 million.

THE Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) deferred on Monday the implementation of the provisional fare increase for buses and jeepneys after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) ordered the agency to further study the implications of the rate increase.