LTFRB agrees to some PISTON demands but transport strike to continue

Despite the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) granting some of PISTON’s demands on Thursday, the transport group said that it will continue with its nationwide transport strike.

According to a 24 Oras report by Dano Tingcungco, the LTFRB loosened some restrictions on the PUV Modernization program following a two-hour discussion between LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz, LTFRB Spokesperson Celine Pialago and PISTON President Mody Floranda.

After the dialogue, consolidation requirements were reduced to Official Receipt/Certificate of Registration (OR/CR) and a petition.

It was also agreed that a cooperative will now have a minimum of 10 members and up to 3 cooperatives will be allowed to ply a single route.

Previous fines will also be waived. 

Additionally, modernized jeeps shall no longer be mandatory as long as rehabilitated traditional jeepneys under a cooperative pass roadworthiness inspections.

“Bumuo lang sila ng kooperatiba, walang jeepney phaseout. Hindi po sapilitan ang pagbili ng modernized jeepneys. Makakabiyahe po ang traditional jeepneys as long as roadworthy po ito,”  LTFRB Spokesperson Celine Pialago summarized the agency’s concessions.

(They only need to create a cooperative, there’s no more jeepney phaseout. We’re not forcing them to buy the modernized jeepneys. They can still use the traditional jeepneys as long as they are roadworthy.)

“Bagamat sinasabi ng LTFRB na di namin kailangang bumili ng mamahaling unit, sabi namin maglabas kayo ng [Executive Order] na patunay niyan,” Floranda said.

(Even if LTFRB said that we’re not required to buy expensive units, we told the agency to release an Executive Order to prove it.)

Despite these concessions, PISTON said it would continue to protest the consolidation deadline scheduled for December 31.

Floranda said that while the President and the government consider their group a “minority”, he said PISTON’s transport strikes have a major impact on local transportation.

“Laging sinasabi ng gobyerno, hindi malakas at malawak [ang welga], pero ang magpapatunay niyan ang paglabas nila ng maraming libreng sakay. Yan ang magpapatunay at syempre mga stranded na pasahero. Kung walang na-stranded na pasahero, walang libreng sakay, baka maniwala ako na ‘di successful yung pagkilos natin,” Floranda maintained.

(The government always claims our protests aren’t effective or widespread, but what the proof is in this is in its efforts to provide free rides. This proves there’s a lot of stranded passengers. If there were no stranded passengers there would be no free transport, then maybe I can believe that our transport strike wasn’t successful.)

Meanwhile, PISTON’s two-day nationwide transport strike left commuters stranded for hours along certain thoroughfares around  Metro Manila.

“Sana maunawaan nyo kung bakit kami humantong dito. Ayaw din naman natin na mag-suffer ating mga pasahero sa ubod ng mahal na magiging pamasahe dahil kapag nawala ang mga UV Express, Jeep … ay aabot po sa 35 pesos ang minimum na pamasahe,” said Floranda in a 24 Oras report by Joseph Morong on Thursday.

 (We hope you understand why we reached this point. We really don’t want our passengers to suffer from really high fares when UV Express and jeepneys disappear… The minimum fare would reach to 35 pesos.)

Based on data released by the Department of Transportation, only 26% of PUVs in Metro Manila have consolidated.

After the Dec. 31 deadline set by the government, non-consolidated PUVs will be considered colorum, i.e. operating without franchises. 

The DOTr assured that such developments would not affect public transportation and not lead to a transport crisis.

“Karamihan ng mga major throughfares natin… Karamihan ng mga major roads sa kamaynilaan ay meron nang consolidated,” said DOTr Spokesperson Undersecretary TJ Batan.

(Most of our major thoroughfares… Most of our major roads in Metro Manila have consolidated PUVs.) –Jiselle Casucian/ RF, GMA Integrated News