Gov’t prepares for Monday transport strike; will deploy public, private buses
The government is now preparing to deploy private and public buses to fetch affected commuters following a transport group’s announcement of a strike on Monday, March 19.
The transport strike will protest the administration’s jeepney modernization program and the new tax reform law.
“We have activated the Joint Quick Response Team (JQRT) for Transportation. Twenty private buses will be fielded together with government vehicles in six staging areas,” Lawyer Aileen Lizada, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board member said.
This was after transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) announced over the weekend that they will stage this year’s first transport strike against the “jeepney phaseout.”
Piston head George San Mateo said in a statement that the government’s current public utility vehicle modernization program is “hollow” and will not benefit the jeepney drivers.
San Mateo added that the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB “deceived” jeepney operators and drivers saying that they will not be phasing out old jeepney units.
Piston held two protest rallies in January and February to protest the government’s crackdown of old and rickety jeeps on the road through “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” program.
Aside from the strike on Monday, Piston will also hold transport protests on various staging areas in Metro Manila where government enforcers will be deployed to monitor.
With the expected transport strike, the LTFRB will deploy private and public vehicles to fetch affected passengers where at least 40 PNP “bus marshals” will be assigned to the buses.
Government vehicles will offer free rides while private buses will have a minimum fare of 110 for nonairconditioned bus units, and 112 for airconditioned bus units.
Despite the group’s continuous protests, LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III maintained that they will pursue the modernization program as “the safety of the riding public should not be compromised.” (Alexandria Dennise San Juan)