Duterte signs law granting 20% student fare discount

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the Student Fare Discount Act (R.A. 11314) granting students a 20% fare discount when traveling via PUVs in the country.

Just like with Senior Citizens, students can present their school IDs so they can get a 20% discount on all public utility vehicles.

“A student under this Act shall be entitled to a grant of 20% discount on domestic regular fares, upon personal presentation of their duly-issued school identification cards (IDs) or current validated enrollment form, supported by the prescribed government-issued identification document, subject to an appropriate verification mechanism to be provided in the implementing rules and regulations.”

This discount covers students in elementary, secondary, technical-vocational, and higher education. PUVs include:

• Public Utility Buses
• Public Utility Jeepneys
• Taxis
• Other similar vehicles-for-hire tricycles
• Passenger trains
• Aircraft
• Marine Vessels

Tourist services, school services, or any services covered by contract or charter agreement with a valid franchise or LTFRB permit are not covered in the law. What’s good is that this formalizes that students can use the 20% discount even on weekends and holidays.

PUV drivers that refuse to grant students the discount privilege will face penalties which include:

• Driver’s license suspension
• Fines ranging from PHP 1,000 to PHP 15,000
• Cancelation of certificates of public convenience

The law was signed last April 17, 2019, while the media was only given a copy of the document last July 15, 2019.

Source: Philippine News Agency