A Provincial Board member has called on her colleagues in the legislative body to investigate the reported exorbitant fare of vans-for-hire (V-Hire) in the province which she said have also started to take in passengers at full capacity.

Board Member Lucille Lagunay, in a privilege speech delivered during the PB’s regular session on Tuesday, said she has been receiving complaints from the riding public regarding the fare prices.

She acknowledged that there was a fare hike due to health safety protocols which limited the seating capacity of public utility vehicles (PUV) but noted that the higher fare remained despite some vans already taking in passengers at full capacity.

“V-hires have started to fill up their vans at full capacity but the passengers still have to pay the same increased price,” said Lagunay, who chairs the PB’s committee on social services.

The lawmaker also wants the PB to look into the PUVs’ operations at full capacity despite the province still being under Modified General Community Quarantine.

Lagunay saw the need to address the matter amid the continued surge of COVID-19 cases in the province.

“I see a need to study whether it is already viable to allow the full-capacity operation of V-Hires, and the potential health risks we might face in allowing so, as well as how we can mitigate such problems,” she said.

In a span of five days from Saturday to Wednesday, Bohol recorded over 100 new cases of the disease raising the total number of ongoing infections to 187.  

The Chronicle contacted Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Anthony Damalerio to clarify the prevailing policy on the seating capacity of PUVs but the official has not responded as of posting. (rt)