The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is unlikely to decide on the petition for a fare increase before the expected surge of travelers during Undas, despite three consecutive weeks of fuel price hikes.

Interviewed by RH 52 Edniel Parrosa, LTFRB Chairman Atty. Vigor Mendoza II said that the board is still studying the request of the Alliance of Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP) to make the ₱1 provisional fare increase permanent and add another ₱1 to the minimum jeepney fare.

Mendoza said the agency remains open to receiving position papers, especially from provincial stakeholders whose situations differ from those in Metro Manila.

“I doubt it. Nung tiningnan ko yung file ko, mayroon pang position paper na hinihintay natin. As I said, yung mga regional interest groups na hindi pa nagsu-submit, bibigyan natin ng palugit para lahat talaga ma-factor in natin before we make a decision,” Mendoza explained.

The chairman assured the public that the LTFRB would expedite the review once all necessary inputs are received, noting that any fare adjustment will have a nationwide impact on both commuters and operators.