Transport men joining strike face franchise loss

OPERATORS and drivers who will participate in what they describe as a nationwide transportation strike on Monday may face revocation of franchise, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) warned on Friday.

DoTr Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddes Hope Libiran said the government m igh t cancel their permit to operate as commuters would suffer from the protest.

“We issue a strong warning to those planning to join the strike as this is a blatant disregard [ of] their duty as operator[s],” she added in statement.

In a separate statement, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said 20 Certificates

of Public Convenience of operators and drivers were canceled after they joined a

transport strike two years ago.

Libiran said there were other ways for the operators and drivers to raise their disapproval of the government’s push for the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program other than holding a strike.

The DoTr in June 2017 launched the jeepney fleet modernization program, which targets to replace old units with modern ones.

Complete phaseout of rundown PUVs is being eyed by mid-2020, the LTFRB earlier said.

When asked for his reaction to DoTr’s statement, Efren de Luna, national president of the Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations ( ACTO), said the department had been using the cancellation of franchise as a threat. "Kaya nga kami magkakaisa na magtigilp asada. Si langa ang nagsasabi na sa July 1, 2020, kami ay phased out na (We will stop operations on September 30 because the DoTr said they will phase us out on July 1, 2020),” he said in a text message to The Manila Times.

Other transport groups were not immediately available for comment.

The protest will be led by ACTO, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide and Stop and Go.