Public utility vehicle (PUV) fares will increase beginning Monday, September 28, after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) lifted its suspension on fare adjustments, citing rising fuel prices and the need to maintain sufficient public transportation for commuters.
DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez approved the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) recommendation to implement the fare increase approved in March 2026.
“It is timely to implement this fare increase to also ensure that there are enough PUVs on the roads and that commuters have available transportation,” Lopez said.
Traditional jeepneys will charge P14 for the first four kilometers, up from P13, with an additional P2 for every succeeding kilometer.
Modern jeepneys will charge P17 for the first four kilometers, up from P15, with an additional P2.40 per succeeding kilometer.
Ordinary Metro Manila and city buses will charge P15 for the first five kilometers, up from P13, while air-conditioned buses will charge P18, up from P15.
Other fare adjustments will also apply to provincial buses, airport taxis, transportation network vehicle services (TNVS), and point-to-point (P2P) buses.
The fare adjustments come after fuel prices recorded sharp increases in September, with diesel rising by P8.82 per liter, gasoline by P4.88, and kerosene by P6.47.
The increases brought the total rise in diesel prices to P18.31 per liter over three weeks, while gasoline and kerosene rose by P15.25 and P16.67, respectively.
The government had earlier suspended the fare increase as it sought measures to ease the impact of rising fuel prices on commuters.
“The government is exhausting every measure it can implement to help our drivers and the transport sector so that the burden will not be passed on to commuters. We hope the increasing fares will be our last resort,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said, quoting Lopez during a media briefing.
The latest implementation follows the DOTr’s decision to lift the suspension amid continued increases in fuel costs.
DOTr officials also directed the LTFRB to ensure that operators and drivers display updated fare matrices inside their vehicles before collecting the new rates. The mandatory 20% fare discount for students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities will remain in effect.
