Leaders support advice for gov’t to buy old PUJs

Some transport leaders in Cebu have supported the suggestion of lawmakers for the government to buy their traditional jeepneys at P150,000 per unit.

“That is a very good alternative. We welcome that suggestion. I hope the Department of Transportation will also consider it,” said Ryan Benjamin Yu, general manager and president of Cebu Integrated Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CITRASCO MPC), the biggest transport cooperative in the Visayas.

Greg Perez, president of Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu, said they also welcome this proposal, but the amount is not enough for the jeepney operators to purchase a modern jeepneys.

Perez said that majority of traditional jeepney operators in Cebu are already consolidated into cooperatives but since these are small-time groups, they cannot afford to purchase modern PUJ whose prices range from P2.4 to P2.8 million each.

“Mao na magpasalamat ta kung matinuod na nga paliton sa gobyerno og tag P150,000 matag usa pero kana nga kantidad dili kana paigo nga makapalit of bag-ong mga units,” said Perez.

The militant transport group has held a picket rally at the regional office of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-7, instead of joining the week-long nationwide transport strike that started yesterday.

Perez said that they continue to oppose the PUV Modernization

Program due to lack of financial support from the government.

Perez, together with other militant groups from the youth, women and workers who joined the picket rally, was dismayed after they were not allowed to enter the premises of LTFRB-7 but instead held their activity outside the gate.

Striking drivers in Manila demanded for the revocation of LTFRB’s Memorandum Circular No. 2023-013, which stated that single operators who fail to meet the consolidation requirement by the deadline shall have their franchises or certificate of public convenience revoked on March 31, 2023.

The March-31 deadline, however, was extended until June 30, and was further extended until the end of the year.