MANILA – A Department of Transportation (DOTr) official has downplayed the impact of the planned two-day transport strike by jeepney operators, which will start today, April 15, 2024.
According to Undersecretary for Roads Sector Andy Ortega, just like the previous transport strikes, the upcoming move will once again fail to paralyze public transport.
“Clearly they will not paralyze Metro Manila and most especially the whole of the Philippines,” Ortega said. “Those planning to rally or protest account for merely 5% of the entire transportation sector.”
Nevertheless, Ortega said the government respects the groups’ decision to stage their protest.
Transport groups PISTON and MANIBELA has recently announced that they would hold a nationwide transport strike on Monday and Tuesday amid the looming deadline for the consolidation of public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators on April 30.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced last week 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.
In January, President Marcos has 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.
Meanwhile, Ortega said that around nearly 78% of PUV operators in the country have already complied with the consolidation requirement under the PUV Modernization Program.
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 stated 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./PN
