Cebu, Talisay cities to deploy buses for stranded commuters

Militant transport group, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu, has assured that public transportation in Metro Cebu would not be crippled in today's strike.

The cities of Cebu and Talisay are not taking chances though.

Should there be a lack of public utility jeepneys, the Talisay City government will deploy two buses while 15 Kaohsiung buses will be deployed by the Cebu City government.

Talisay buses will service commuters from Tabunok, Talisay City to Cebu City and vice versa, according to Almond Dela Peña, City of Talisay Traffic Operations Development Authority (CT-TODA) head.

But if the need arises, Dela Peña said the city is prepared to add more buses.

Dela Peña said they have already coordinated with some barangay captains for the deployment of additional barangay-owned buses.

"We'll provide buses until mahuman ang strike," he said, adding that the loading bay will be at the Gaisano Tabunok.

City Councilor David Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters and the chairman of the City Council's committee on public order and safety, said the Kaohsiung buses will ply along at least six major routes, including Labangon, Guadalupe, Bulacao, Talamban, Lahug, and Mabolo, among others.

He said the deployment will start at around 3 p.m. until the transport strike ends.

Dela Peña said only a few jeepney drivers from Talisay City will join the protest caravan, which decries the proposed policy of phasing out jeepneys aged 15 years old and above.

"Dili kayo sila hugot nga mosuporta. Ang uban tingali pipila lang nga dili mobyahe, ang rason kay maglikay lang og kagubot," he said.

PISTON-Cebu coordinator Greg Perez said earlier that their protest would only have a “minimal effect” on Metro Cebu's public transportation. He said only 30 jeepney drivers are expected to join the protest caravan.

The protest caravan will kick off at 7 a.m. in Barangay Ibabao, Mandaue City and then proceed to the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, and Talisay.

The last stop of the protest caravan will be at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-7 at the North Reclamation Area.

Perez said they will stage a protest from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. in front of the LTFRB-7 office where a program and a cultural show will be also held.

However, he said more or less a hundred of Piston-Cebu's members are expected to temporarily stop plying their normal routes to attend the picket at the LTFRB office.

Some urban poor groups will also join the protest at the regional office, he said.