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Many jeepney operators stop rides, turn to selling as gas prices soar

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Jeepney drivers hang around their rented garage in San Andres, Manila on June 7, 2022. As oil prices continue to rise, most drivers don’t spend the whole day on the road anymore as they used to. Although they did not push through with their “tigil pasada” protest, most of them only ply their routes in the morning rush hour just to earn enough to buy food for the day. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/06/08/20220607-jeepney-driver-fuel-increase-gc-10.jpg"/><figcaption>Jeepney drivers hang around their rented garage in San Andres, Manila on June 7, 2022. As oil prices continue to rise, most drivers don’t spend the whole day on the road anymore as they used to. Although they did not push through with their “tigil pasada” protest, most of them only ply their routes in the morning rush hour just to earn enough to buy food for the day. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Many jeepney operators have decided to stop rides and resorted to selling petroleum products to cope with rising gas prices, a transport group said Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;Marami nang huminto [ng pasada] dahil talagang ang pinanghahanap-buhay na lang namin ay mag-gasoline station itong mga refilling station na lang kaya sila na ho &#x27;yung operator namin kaya wala nang kinikita &#x27;yung driver,&quot; said Orlando &quot;Ka Lando&quot; Marquez Sr., national president of Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP).</p><p>(Many operators opted to stop as they shifted to putting up refilling stations. This made drivers lose their income.) </p><p>Another big-time oil price hike was seen this week, sending motorists to gas stations <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/07/22/mga-gasolinahan-dinagsa-muli-dahil-sa-panibagong-oil-price-hike">scrambling</a> to fill up their tanks.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2068863" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/business/06/06/22/big-time-oil-price-hike-set-on-tuesday-june-7">Big time oil price hike set on Tuesday June 7, diesel seen higher by over P6 per liter</a></li></ul><p>Marquez also lamented that not all drivers were qualified for the government&#x27;s Libreng Sakay program, saying that ordinary jeepneys bear the brunt of high oil prices while struggling to get passengers.</p><p>&quot;So papaano ngayon &#x27;yung pumapasada na nagbabayad ng fuel ng napakataas na wala naman sasakay dahil may bayad? Parang pinapatay na sinasadya itong mga hindi naman kasi lahat quinalified nila sa Libreng Sakay,&quot; he told ABS-CBN&#x27;s TeleRadyo.</p><p>(So how about those jeeps that pay high fuel prices and lack passengers because of payment? It looks like they&#x27;re intentionally doing this because not all drivers are qualified for the Libreng Sakay.)</p><p>The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) considers the free rides as part of their “basket of solutions” to cushion the effect of the oil price increase.</p><p>These include fuel subsidies for transport operators and the P7-billion service contracting program behind the &quot;Libreng Sakay.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/06/05/22/libreng-sakay-forever-not-viable-says-commuters-group">‘Libreng sakay’ forever? Not long-term transport solution, says commuters’ group</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/04/22/transpo-groups-to-wait-until-marcos-jr-admin-to-push-for-fare-hike">‘Wala na ring saysay’: Transpo groups to wait until Marcos Jr. admin to push for fare hike</a></li></ul><div><strong>—with reports from Anjo Bagaoisan, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

Many jeepney operators have decided to stop rides and resorted to selling petroleum products to cope with rising gas prices, a transport group said Wednesday.