By CESAR JOLITO III
A transport leader in Bacolod City said the expected rollback in fuel prices next week will not be enough to meaningfully ease the burden of drivers and the wider transport sector.
Lilian Sembrano, president of the Kabacod Negros Transport Organization (KNETCO), described the anticipated reduction in fuel prices as only a temporary relief that fails to address the sector’s long-standing challenges.
The expected rollback in pump prices will range from P5.50 to P6.50 per liter for diesel, and up to P1 per liter for gasoline.
Sembrano said the rollback serves only as a “stopgap measure,” stressing that fuel prices should ideally be brought down to around P55 per liter.
She added that any excess cost should be shouldered through government subsidies to protect drivers and operators.
The KNETCO head also renewed calls for the removal of excise tax and value-added tax on fuel, saying these taxes continue to significantly contribute to high operational costs for public utility drivers.
According to Sembrano, her group is currently coordinating with transport organizations at the national level to explore the possibility of staging a wider transport strike if conditions do not improve.
She further revealed that some traditional public utility vehicle operators have already begun suspending trips due to fuel costs, noting that in her own fleet of five units, only one vehicle remains operational and even then not on a regular basis.
Transport strike
Public transport groups in Bacolod will conduct a transport strike on Wednesday, April 15, pressing their demands in response to the ongoing fuel crisis.
More than 1,000 drivers of traditional jeepney units will protest in two locations in the city — at the Barangay Bata and Barangay Singcang-Airport flyovers.
Local transport groups will participate alongside taxi and tricycle associations, with support from church groups.
The protest demands immediate government actions, including the removal of fuel taxes, suspension of the oil deregulation law, and financial aid for affected drivers and operators./CJ, WDJ