PISTON continues to oppose jeepney modernization program

Transport group members marched from the Quezon City Memorial Circle to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office on Wednesday afternoon to protest the "Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok" program, Oscar Oida reported on "24 Oras."

Members of the transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide  (PISTON) declined the bread and suggestion to discuss issues inside the LTFRB office.

PISTON national president George San Mateo said the LTFRB was liable for registering the vehicles that are confiscated by the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) for not being "road-worthy."

"'Yung mga hinuhuli ngayon ng i-ACT na mga jeep na sinasabi nilang bulok at mausok are the same jeepneys na pinasa nilang last year registration," San Mateo said.

"Bakit ang accountability nasa mga operators, sino ngayon mga accountable doon sa mga opisyal na nagpalusot sa mga 'to?," he added.

LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra said the jeepneys will not be impounded if the units are properly maintained.

He added that the government is already extending assistance to operators under the jeepney modernization program.

Mateo underscored "Hindi po kami tutol sa modernization ang sinasabi nga namin ibasura natin kasalukuyang modernization program,  magbuo ng bago kung saan mas democratic, mas socially just."

The LTFRB chairman said junking the current guidelines would delay the modernization process for years.

"You know what that means? It's basically like trying to have a strategy by which you're going to say, let's delay it for another ten years," Delgra said.

The discussion lasted for a few minutes that this caused a minor traffic congestion in the area.

The coding scheme was also suspended due to fears of the transport groups will hold another "tigil-pasada".

The transport group earlier bared their plans to stage a transport strike shortly after the "Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok" was implemented this month.

The program introduced as a "360-degree check of PUVs' roadworthiness" was branded by the group as a "covert attempt at a jeepney phaseout." — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News