(Eagle News) — Senator Sonny Angara on Friday, June 8, said there was a need to pass a law to institutionalize the 20 percent student fare discount.
In a statement, Angara said this was because there was always the possibility that the discount, which is enforced based on a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board circular, was not enforced effectively.
The LTFRB circular issued in October last year says that “students can avail of the 20-percent discount from Monday to Sunday, including summer breaks, legal and special holidays.”
“If we want to provide long-term assistance to our students, we need to come up with a law to institutionalize the regulatory policy, which can always be subject to change,” he said.
As such, he said the approval of Senate Bill 945, which seeks to impose the discount for students in PUVs, MRT, LRT, airplanes, and passenger ships all-year round, should be fast-tracked.
“Ang kailangan natin ay batas para masiguro natin na ang 20 percent discount para sa mga mag-aaral ay mananatili kahit sino pa ang mga nakaupo sa DOTr,” he said.