Manila, May 2 -- Regulators must assess whether existing government subsidies are sufficient to stabilize the transportation sector before resorting to fare hikes, according to House Committee on Transportation chairperson and Quezon City 3rd District Rep. Franz Pumaren.

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Pumaren said any decision must also take into account the capacity of commuters to absorb higher transport costs.

"Hindi lang naman 'yung transport sector ang titignan natin. Titingnan din natin 'yung (We're not looking just at the transport sector. We also look at) commuters if they can afford it right now," he said.

Several petitions are pending before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB...