THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday said the first day of the 3-day transport strike by the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Nationwide (Piston) failed to paralyze public transport in Metro Manila.
The same observation was aired by the PNP, which said the strike was generally peaceful.
In a press briefing attended by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief Teofilo Guadez III, MMDA chairperson Romando Artes said they only deployed a fraction of the vehicles they have readied to ferry passengers who would be affected by the transport strike.
“I can confidently and categorically say the strike failed to paralyze public transport. Of the 686 vehicles we have readied, only 66 have been deployed,” Artes said early in the day.
As of 4:40 p.m. yesterday, the agency said 104 of its vehicles readied for deployment were fielded, ferrying 2,645 passengers to various points in the metropolis.
Piston president Mody Floranda had earlier said they expect more than 100,000 public utility vehicle drivers nationwide to join the three-day strike to protest the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, particularly the December 31 deadline given to jeepney operators.
Last week, in a statement announcing the transport strike, Piston said the franchise consolidation scheme “may result in the monopoly of a few big fleet managers or corporations who have the necessary capitalization to control PUV routes.”
Guadiz said field monitoring by their regional offices showed the effect of the transport strike was largely negligible.
Guadiz also said the LTFRB will not issue summons to the PUV operators and drivers who took part in the strike.
Guadiz said the LTFRB is open to offering a five-year franchise to jeepney operators as part of its negotiations with Piston.
“The five-year franchise, that’s one area that we can talk about. We are willing to sit down with them and agree to that,” Guadiz said.
The LTFRB has offered only a one-year provisional authority for jeepneys in line with the modernization program. The deadline for the consolidation process for public utility vehicles is on December 31, 2023.
According to the LTFRB, around 70 percent of PUV operators have complied with the modernization program.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, meanwhile, appealed to transport groups to resolve the issue of the PUVMP through “honest communication.”
In a statement, Bautista said the agency’s line of communication is always open to transport groups who may have misconceptions about the PUV modernization program and iron out issues through “honest communication.”
“I still believe we can resolve the issues through honest communication. We have been fine-tuning the program according to the voices of transport groups,” Bautista said.
He said he reached out to Floranda to correct several misconceptions about the program, such as the perceived phase-out of traditional jeepneys, the high cost of modern jeepneys, as well as the forced purchase of units costing P2 million each.
“In the PUV Modernization Program, we ensure no one gets left behind,” Bautista added.
Many jeepney operators and drivers who have consolidated into cooperatives have already complied with the program, according to Bautista.
He also said over 5,000 routes with 135,761 consolidated franchises and operated by 1,838 cooperatives and consolidated companies have been approved.
Under the modernization program, transport cooperatives can avail of financial assistance, on top of a government subsidy, to upgrade their PUV fleet with low-carbon emission, safe and efficient units; and operators and drivers must organize into a cooperative or corporation to establish larger fleets of PUVs.
Last week, the DOTr remained firm on the December 31 deadline but is open to having a dialog with the transport group.
As of November 15, there were 129,568 consolidated units for public utility jeepneys (PUJs), UV Express, mini buses, and public utility buses (PUBs), representing 65 percent of overall authorized units.
The remaining 35 percent consists of 69,665 individual franchise holders who have yet to join the PUV modernization, according to the LTFRB.
To allow the PUVs to operate after the December 31 deadline, LTFRB said the PUVs must consolidate first to secure a confirmation from the agency.
CODING BACK
To further prove the strike failed to make a dent, Artes said the Expanded Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program or coding scheme would be implemented today, noting that the suspension of the scheme yesterday resulted in a 20 percent rise in vehicles on major roads.
“We are prepared this afternoon, tomorrow, and the succeeding days for the transport strike,” Artes added.
Exempted from the scheme, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., are public utility vehicles, transport network vehicles services, motorcycles, garbage trucks, fuel trucks, marked government vehicles, media vehicles, fire trucks, police, and other emergency vehicles, and those carrying perishable or essential goods.
GOVT READY: SARA
Duterte, the government’s caretaker while President Marcos Jr. is in Hawaii, touted the preparations of the MMDA, LTFRB, and other government agencies as the reason why the transport strike failed to cripple public transport not only in Metro Manila but in other parts of the country.
“The directive of the President was to ensure adequate response and for commuters not to be affected, especially since we did not declare suspension in works and classes,” Duterte said.
Duterte also reiterated the government’s readiness to meet and discuss with the transport groups, including Piston, the issues on the jeepney modernization program to hear their side.
“We are ready and willing to work and talk to them,” Duterte said, adding that 70 percent of jeepney operators have complied or are about to comply with the jeepney modernization plan.
PNP SIDE
“So far, the transport strike in NCR (National Capital Region) was generally peaceful,” said PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo, citing information from the National Capital Region Police Office as of 1 p.m. yesterday.
Fajardo said around 600 members of the transport group were monitored to have taken part in the transport strike in different areas in NCR.
“No untoward incident was reported as of 1 p.m. Accordingly, they failed to paralyze transportation,” said Fajardo.
She noted the PNP deployed vehicles to provide free transportation to commuters who were affected or stranded.
Fajardo said transport strikes were also reported in Calabarzon and Cordillera Administrative Region “but so far, there are also no reported untoward incidents.”
Fajardo said the PNP did not monitor any unruly behavior on the part of the protesting members of the transport group.
“So far no reported incident,” said Fajardo, adding policemen will continue to monitor the situation.
“Our reminder to our policemen is to exercise maximum tolerance. We will continue our monitoring of the protest action through the MMDA command center manned by inter-agency representatives,” said Fajardo.
Last Sunday, Fajardo said some 9,000 policemen would be deployed nationwide to ensure peace and order during the transport strike and 920 police vehicles would be mobilized to provide assistance to commuters. — With Victor Reyes and Myla Iglesias
