Bacolod braces for transport strike

BACOLOD CITY: With all major transport groups in the city joining Monday’s ( September 30) nationwide strike, the local government has ordered the cancellation of school for all levels and the deployment of city buses to fetch city government employees.

Bacolod City Acting Mayor El Cid Familiaran issued the executive order on Friday declaring a suspension of classes for all levels in the city after meeting with organizers

of the strike and the Department of Education (DepEd). The DepEd, as well as the Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRR- - MO), has expressed its concern that the strike would affect the students and recommended the suspension of classes.

CDRRMO Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas said the city government would utilize its buses to help government employees get to their respective work places.

Vargas said government employees living in the northern part of the city can proceed to Barangay Bata for pickup, while those in the south are directed to Barangay Sum-ag.

The city would also use 10 trucks from private garbage contractor IPM- Construction and Development Corp., he said. The Bacolod City Police Office

will also provide assistance to commuters by dispatching some of their patrol cars to transport commuters.

Earlier, the Sentrong Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Negros (Sstone) and Federation Bacolod City Drivers Association (Febacda), announced they would join the nationwide transport strike.

In a joint statement, the transport groups said the demonstration was in protest of the government’s public utility vehicle ( modernization program, which will be implemented on July 1, 2020.

Both groups said they strongly oppose the phase out of old PUVs, along with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Boards (LTFRB) proposal to consolidate franchises.

They claimed, that under the LTFRB’s plans all transport cooperatives would ultimately be abolished and absorbed by corporations.

The groups noted that several transport cooperatives have already met a host of problems such as the unavailability of spare parts.

According to Sstone and Febacda, the strike will take place from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Meanwhile, the LTFRB issued a warning to those participating in the strike that their franchise permits would be suspended or revoked.

It said the strike would “bring an unnecessary inconvenience.”