Students call for awareness on student fare discount
by: Nyssa De Guzman
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Students’ awareness on a law, passed for students’ benefit from commuting and travelling, has not been evident throughout its implementation.
Student Fare Discount Act or Republic Act No. 11314 is a law that gives elementary to college students a discount on commuting and travelling. It gives 20% fare discount to students as long as they are enrolled.
The discount scheme covers not only land transportation but also air and sea transportation; that according to some students, they thought there was only discounts on jeepney fares.
“While there are existing laws that gives us these discounts, it would ultimately make no sense if we don’t inform the students of the rights provided to them in the first place,” Vinzen Josh Borja, a student from Gr. 10 STE-Einstein, said.
Majority of students believed that the discount ends on weekends and holidays when according to RA No. 11314, Section 4: ‘The fare discount granted under this Act shall be available during the entire period while the student is enrolled, including weekends and holidays’.
The 20% fare discount will be granted upon personal presentation of identification cards (IDs) issued by their authorized elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, or higher education institutes.
There are institutes that are not included in the discount grant. It does not include post-graduate degree courses and informal short-term courses such as dancing and driving lessons, and seminar-type courses.
“Siguro dapat alam nila (students) yung batas na iyon, katulad ko, ngayon ko lang nalaman, so dapat alam natin para mabawasan yung gastos natin para sa pamasahe, ang laking tulong din kasi niyon,” Lorenz Malaras, an SSG officer, said.
“If students don’t know about the discounts they should be enjoying right now, then the law isn’t working enough and it’s definitely calling for better implementation,” Vinzen Josh Borja said.
The Student Fare Discount Act has been signed and implemented since April 17, 2019.
Transportation services that refuses to grant students 20% discount can receive penalties. Students can complain to Land Transportation Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for land transportation, Civil Aeronautics Board for air transportation, and Maritime Industry Authority for sea or water transportation.
“No one should take the law for granted, especially like those manipulative jeepney drivers who refuse students of these beneits,” Vinzen Josh Borja expressed.
Penalty includes driver’s license suspension and fines ranging from P5,000 to P15,000 for land, P5,000 to P20,000 for sea or water, and P50,000 to P150,000 for air.
“Siguro dapat may alam din diyan yung mga drayber para mainform sila sa batas na ‘yan, kasi we don’t know naman na kaya ‘di sila nasunod kasi wala silang alam diba? Siguro kailangan magkaroon ng pagpupulong para diyan, para ma-orient sila,” Lorenz Malaras said.
