Planned 2-day strike won’t paralyze public transport —DOTr exec

A top official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has downplayed the impact of the planned two-day transport strike which will start on Monday, April 15, 2024.

At the Saturday News Forum, DOTr Undersecretary for Roads Sector Andy Ortega said, “Clearly they will not paralyze metro manila and most especially the whole of the Philippines,” noting that previous transport strikes failed to paralyze public transport last year.

“Those planning to rally or protest account for merely 5% of the entire transportation sector,” added Ortega.

PISTON and MANIBELA on Thursday announced that they would hold a nationwide transport strike next week amid the looming deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators on April 30.

That's after President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on announced that there would be no more extension of the application for consolidation of individual public utility vehicle (PUV) operators to form or join transportation cooperatives.

After several extensions, Marcos in late January set the new deadline for the consolidation on April 30, 2024.

Nevertheless, Ortega said the government respects the groups’ decision to protest.

Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) president Orlando Marquez, for his part, said 20 organizations, including LTOP, Pasangmasda, FEJODAP, Stop and Go Coalition, Federation of UV Express of the Philippines, and Taxi Operators Association of the Philippines will not join the looming transport strike.

Marquez, however, said other transport groups respect the move of MANIBELA and PISTON to conduct a transport strike.

Ortega, meanwhile, said nearly 78% of PUV operators in the country have already complied with the consolidation requirement under the PUV Modernization Program, just a few weeks before the deadline to apply for consolidation expires.

After the April 30 deadline, the DOTr official said the agency will focus on the Local Public Transport Route Plan or route rationalization “to add more routes… with the LGUs.”

Ortega also emphasized that the modernization of PUVs “will not be happening soon” as the actual replacement of old units with modernized ones will fall under a 27-month program. 

In January, Marcos approved the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) recommendation to extend the deadline for PUV operators to join or put up transportation cooperatives or corporations until April 30.

The consolidation is the initial stage of the government's PUV Modernization Program that aims to replace traditional jeepneys with vehicles that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to lessen pollution and replace units that were not deemed roadworthy under the standards of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Meanwhile, the LTFRB on Thursday said it would offer Libreng Sakay (free ride program) to help commuters who will be affected in the two-day transport strike on April 15-16. —VAL, GMA Integrated News