PISTON, MANIBELA set transport strike vs modernization program on Sept. 23-24

Transport groups PISTON and MANIBELA said Friday they will stage a transport strike from September 23 to 24 to protest the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).

“Ilang beses nang nalantad ang kapalpakan ng PTMP sa Kongreso, kinatigan na rin ng Senado ang ating posisyon sa pagbabasura sa PTMP, pero nagmamatigas pa rin si (President Ferdinand 'Bongbong') Marcos Jr at ang kanyang mga alipores sa DOTr at LTFRB,” PISTON national president Mody Floranda said in a statement.

(Several times, the failure of the PTMP has been exposed in Congress, the Senate has also supported our position in scrapping the PTMP, but Marcos Jr. and his henchmen in the DOTr and LTFRB are still stubborn.)

PISTON said the protest action aims to address the following demands of the transport sector:

• junking of the PTMP
• cancellation of forced franchise consolidation
• renewal of franchises and registrations for all public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, including those who choose not to consolidate
• zero budget for PUV phaseout programs, with funding redirected towards the rehabilitation of traditional jeepneys and subsidies for local industries
• allowing those who have entered franchise consolidation to withdraw

PISTON also called on other local government units to follow Bacolod City Council's resolution seeking to suspend the PTMP to pressure the national government.

The PTMP or previously Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) started in 2017 to replace jeepneys with vehicles that have at least a Euro 4-compliant engine to lessen pollution. 

It also aims to replace units that are no longer considered roadworthy. 

A modern jeepney unit costs over P2 million, an amount that even state-run banks LandBank and Development Bank of the Philippines said was too expensive for PUV drivers and operators.

The consolidation of individual PUV franchises into cooperatives or corporations is the initial stage of the modernization program.

Initially, the LTFRB said that PUVs that did not consolidate after the April 30 deadline would be deemed as “colorum” or a PUV operating without a franchise.

Around 81.11% or 155,513 of 191,730 PUV units have been consolidated as of May, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr). A total of 36,217 PUVs remained unconsolidated.

For routes, 74.32% or 7,077 of 9,522 have been consolidated while 2,445 routes remained unconsolidated, the DOTr said.

The LTFRB later on allowed unconsolidated jeepneys and UV Express to operate in over 2,500 routes with a low number of consolidations.—AOL, GMA Integrated News