CEBU CITY – Mayor Michael Rama has welcomed a proposal to grant fuel subsidies to public jeepneys to help the local public transportation sector following the series of oil price hikes due to the raging Russo-Ukrainian war.
Heavy traffic in Cebu. Jeepney drivers have welcome a proposal to provide them fuel subsidy. (Paolo Miranda, Cebu Examiner)
Councilor James Cuenco, chairman of the Committee on Transportation, proposed that the local government provide a liter of fuel to each jeepney driver, citing the volatility of petroleum prices. Once approved into law, Cuenco’s proposal will allow the city government to buy diesel or gasoline for distribution to jeepney drivers.
The
proposal, Cuenco added, will cover some 2,000 drivers, saying helping them will
ensure the availability of public transportation to some 15,000 commuters per
day.
Jeepney
drivers have welcomed the proposal.
Rama
said he supports the proposal to give one liter of fuel for every public
jeepney driver here to help cope with the increases in fuel prices, adding he
may seek the assistance of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council headed by former Councilor Gerard Carillo in studying the viability of
Cuenco’s proposal.
“I
have given my imprimatur. It’s just a matter of where to get the (budget),”
Rama said.
The
mayor said he also supports the proposal to build an oil depot at the South
Road Properties, which could bring down the prices of fuel in Metro Cebu. Rama
said he wants to know the exact place in the 300-hectare reclamation area where
the facility can be constructed. (John Rey Saavedra)
No comments:
Post a Comment