TACLOBAN CITY -- Motorcycle drivers here are asking for a PHP2 fare hike due to the series of oil price hikes, rerouting scheme, and increase in prices of basic commodities.

Joseph Tangeli, president of the city’s association of motorcabs-for-hire , said the present PHP8 minimum fare is no longer practical for thousands of drivers after the series of price adjustments of fuel and basic needs.

“Our purchasing power has been weakened as prices of spare parts have also increased. The traffic rerouting scheme requiring us to take longer routes entails additional cost,” Tangeli told reporters.

In a public hearing conducted by the city council’s committee on transportation and terminal administration, the group submitted a petition, seeking to increase the fare from PHP8 to PHP10 within the city’s downtown area. The proposed fare is higher for a more-than-2-km. ride.

Adrian Banzon of a commuters' group said the PHP2 increase is unreasonable since passengers also suffer the impact of the high inflation rate, suggesting that a PHP1 hike is more acceptable.

City Councilor Jerry Uy said the city council will further study the proposal that will affect the city’s operators and drivers of more than 2,000 registered motorcabs-for-hire and thousands of passengers.

Tacloban is a first-class, highly urbanized city in the country, which serves as the regional center of Eastern Visayas.

According to the 2015 census, Tacloban has a population of 242,089, making it the most populous city in the region. (PNA)