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Advocates Philippines
MMDA prepared for Transport Strike
Photo credit: MMDA
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assured the public that they are ready for the week-long transport strike starting Monday, March 6. The strike, set by transport group Manibela, aims to show displeasure to the government's Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said that they have contingency measures in place to ensure that transportation operations will not be paralyzed during the seven-day transport strike.
The agency will dispatch vehicles offering free rides to the riding public that will be affected during the duration of the transport strike. A total of 25 vehicles are ready to be deployed, including 4 air-conditioned buses, 2 non-air-conditioned buses, and 13 commuter vans.
“These libreng sakay vehicles that we will deploy starting Monday can carry around 1,200 passengers per trip,” Artes said. The MMDA, together with other concerned agencies, will have an inter-agency task force meeting to determine and finalize the routes where these vehicles and other assets will be prepositioned.
MMDA General Manager Usec. Procopio Lipana warned motorists who will take advantage of the situation in the next few days. The agency will deploy more than 2000 personnel to monitor situations on the ground who are tasked to give immediate feedback and reports as to areas where there are stranded commuters.
Other agencies who expressed their readiness for the transport strike are the Department of Interior and Local Government, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Office of the Executive Secretary, which will provide other government offices with employees shuttle services that will likewise give free rides to affected commuters. Some Metro Manila LGUs will also offer libreng sakay in their areas in view of the transport strike.
The one-week transport strike aims to protest the government's PUV Modernization Program. The program, which requires jeepney and other PUV operators to upgrade their vehicles to meet Euro 4 or Euro 5 emission standards, has been met with resistance by some transport groups who say it will lead to higher costs and displacement of drivers and operators.
The MMDA advises the public to remain in their homes, especially on Monday, if there are no important matters which they have to attend to. The agency is still assessing whether there is a need to suspend the expanded number coding scheme during the said week as the inter-agency task force has yet to determine the affected routes and weigh the possible effects of the strike. They also encourage conducting online classes until the last day of the transport strike to minimize the number of possible stranded passengers.
Meanwhile, Transport group PISTON has expressed its full support for the nationwide transport strike. According to Mody Floranda, PISTON national president, the group demands the junking of the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) and its implementing LTFRB Memorandum Circulars, which mandate individual franchise holders to consolidate under a fleet management system.
They also call for a pro-people modernization program that would rehabilitate traditional jeepneys, offer more subsidy and support for PUV drivers and small operators, and increase government involvement in developing the country’s public mass transportation.
The No to PUV Phaseout Coalition, a group of sectoral organizations that include workers, youth, women, urban poor, commuters, and transport workers, has joined the protest. The coalition seeks to spearhead the strikes and protests and is demanding that Marcos Jr immediately issue an Executive Order that would effectively halt the implementation of the PUVMP.
PISTON believes that the current fleet management system being promoted by the government through the OFG will displace thousands of drivers and operators, or make them suffer worse working conditions. “Huwag na tayong maglokohan. Ang puwersahang franchise consolidation ay puwersahang phaseout,” said Floranda.
The nationwide transport strike will affect various modes of public transportation, including jeepneys, buses, and UV Express. Commuters are advised to find alternative modes of transportation during the strike. The coalition warns that more protests and strikes will follow if the government fails to heed their demands.
The PUVMP, which was launched in 2017, aims to phase out old, unsafe, and environmentally-unfriendly PUVs and replace them with more modern, safe, and environment-friendly units. The program also seeks to improve the public transportation system in the country, which has long been plagued by poor infrastructure, inadequate services, and unsafe vehicles.
MMDA Acting Chairman Atty. Don Artes said that they have contingency measures in place to ensure that transportation operations will not be paralyzed during the seven-day transport strike.
The agency will dispatch vehicles offering free rides to the riding public that will be affected during the duration of the transport strike. A total of 25 vehicles are ready to be deployed, including 4 air-conditioned buses, 2 non-air-conditioned buses, and 13 commuter vans.
“These libreng sakay vehicles that we will deploy starting Monday can carry around 1,200 passengers per trip,” Artes said. The MMDA, together with other concerned agencies, will have an inter-agency task force meeting to determine and finalize the routes where these vehicles and other assets will be prepositioned.
MMDA General Manager Usec. Procopio Lipana warned motorists who will take advantage of the situation in the next few days. The agency will deploy more than 2000 personnel to monitor situations on the ground who are tasked to give immediate feedback and reports as to areas where there are stranded commuters.
Other agencies who expressed their readiness for the transport strike are the Department of Interior and Local Government, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Office of the Executive Secretary, which will provide other government offices with employees shuttle services that will likewise give free rides to affected commuters. Some Metro Manila LGUs will also offer libreng sakay in their areas in view of the transport strike.
The one-week transport strike aims to protest the government's PUV Modernization Program. The program, which requires jeepney and other PUV operators to upgrade their vehicles to meet Euro 4 or Euro 5 emission standards, has been met with resistance by some transport groups who say it will lead to higher costs and displacement of drivers and operators.
The MMDA advises the public to remain in their homes, especially on Monday, if there are no important matters which they have to attend to. The agency is still assessing whether there is a need to suspend the expanded number coding scheme during the said week as the inter-agency task force has yet to determine the affected routes and weigh the possible effects of the strike. They also encourage conducting online classes until the last day of the transport strike to minimize the number of possible stranded passengers.
Meanwhile, Transport group PISTON has expressed its full support for the nationwide transport strike. According to Mody Floranda, PISTON national president, the group demands the junking of the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) and its implementing LTFRB Memorandum Circulars, which mandate individual franchise holders to consolidate under a fleet management system.
They also call for a pro-people modernization program that would rehabilitate traditional jeepneys, offer more subsidy and support for PUV drivers and small operators, and increase government involvement in developing the country’s public mass transportation.
The No to PUV Phaseout Coalition, a group of sectoral organizations that include workers, youth, women, urban poor, commuters, and transport workers, has joined the protest. The coalition seeks to spearhead the strikes and protests and is demanding that Marcos Jr immediately issue an Executive Order that would effectively halt the implementation of the PUVMP.
PISTON believes that the current fleet management system being promoted by the government through the OFG will displace thousands of drivers and operators, or make them suffer worse working conditions. “Huwag na tayong maglokohan. Ang puwersahang franchise consolidation ay puwersahang phaseout,” said Floranda.
The nationwide transport strike will affect various modes of public transportation, including jeepneys, buses, and UV Express. Commuters are advised to find alternative modes of transportation during the strike. The coalition warns that more protests and strikes will follow if the government fails to heed their demands.
The PUVMP, which was launched in 2017, aims to phase out old, unsafe, and environmentally-unfriendly PUVs and replace them with more modern, safe, and environment-friendly units. The program also seeks to improve the public transportation system in the country, which has long been plagued by poor infrastructure, inadequate services, and unsafe vehicles.
Mar 5, 2023
