TRANSPORT group PISTON yesterday urged the Supreme Court to act on its petition seeking the issuance of a temporary restraining order against the government program modernizing and consolidating public utility vehicles in the country.
The group made the call as its members staged a protest rally before the High Court yesterday, a week before the April 30 deadline for the franchise consolidation of jeepneys and UV Express units.
President Marcos Jr. earlier said the April 30 deadline for PUV operators and drivers to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations as part of the modernization program will not be extended.
Earlier, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chief Romando Artes said the recently created Joint Task Force composed of the agency, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Transportation will also conduct “anti-colorum” operations against jeepney operators and drivers who fail to consolidate after the April 30 deadline.
“We are optimistic because we believe that the justices are brilliant. We are still hoping that they will issue a TRO in favor of the citizenry,” PISTON Deputy Secretary General Ruben Baylon said.
“Let’s not wait for more operators to be deep in debt due to the consolidation and other violations under the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program,” he added.
Baylon said as the April 30 deadline inches closer, PUV operators and drivers are deeply worried about their uncertain future, adding they hope the High Court will act now on their petition.
Asked what would happen to them after the April 30 deadline, Baylon said they would continue to operate.
PISTON and other allied groups filed last December 2023 a petition asking the magistrates to declare as null and void several issuances of the DOTr regarding the consolidation and to issue an injunction to prevent it and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board from enforcing the issuances.
PISTON and its allied transport groups sought the temporary injunction citing, among others, the adverse impact on the income and livelihood of PUV operators, drivers and their families and commuters nationwide.
They also argued the government’s move is “oppressive, overreaching and confiscatory” considering the damage it would bring to the livelihood of ordinary PUV operators and drivers as well as the prohibitive cost of the modern jeepney that will replace the traditional one from P1.4 to P1.7 million to P2.5 to P2.6 million.
