Lawmaker soughts swift passage of bill granting student discount for transport tickets bought online

MANILA: In response to the fare increase that was put into effect on the first working day of October, Isabela 6th District Representative Faustino Dy has asked Congress to immediately pass House Bill No. 1142, also known as the Student Fare Discount Act, which would grant students reduced rates even for tickets bought online.

The Section 5 of Republic Act No. 11314, or An Act Institutionalizing the Grant of Student Fare Discount Privileges on Public Transportation, which provides students with a 20% discount on domestic regular fares for all modes of public transportation, will be amended by the proposed bill.

According to the law, students must physically present their school identification card, therefore, they are unable to avail of the discount when purchasing online.

“This is an exception that doesn't make sense, and disincentivizes the use of technology when in fact we must push for its more widespread adoption,” Dy stated.

Once approved, students can get discounts when reloading their Beep cards to pay for bus and train fares and when purchasing plane tickets to their home provinces.

“Sa kabila ng pagtaas ng pamasahe, kailangan masiguro natin na napapakinabangan ang mga discount sa lahat ng pagkakataon (Amid the increase in transportation costs, we should make sure the discounts are always available). This is why mandated discounts should also be applied to tickets that are bought online,” Dy said.

According to the amended provision, the discount only applies to the base fare, which is the cost of the ticket excluding taxes and other fees for ancillary services.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved a P1 provisional increase in the minimum fare for the first four kilometers of public utility jeepneys (PUJ).

The minimum fare for traditional PUJ is now P12 and the modern PUJ P14.

The minimum fare for city buses has increased by P2 for the first five kilometers, making them P13 for regular buses and P15 for air-conditioned buses.

The minimum fare for provincial buses climbed to P11.

The flag-down rate of taxis also rose from P40 to P45.

Photo from Department of Transportation

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