[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ Striking jeepneys violate franchises – LTFRB’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA and RESEL JOY TIANEROto
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Passenger jeepneys joining the two-day transport strike risk losing their franchises.
Holding a strike is a franchise violation, said Director Richard Osmeña of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6.
Show-cause orders will be issued to the operators of striking jeepneys.
If the Iloilo City Loop Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association were to be believed, “98 percent” of passenger jeepneys in Iloilo City stayed off the streets in the first day of the strike yesterday.
Its president, Raymundo Parcon, said only a few continued their trips.
“Sa amon assessment, ang nagbiyahe daw mga two percent,” he said.
In Iloilo province, he placed the participation at 100 percent.
Osmeña reminded jeepney operators and drivers of the Board’s “no strike policy” in Memorandum Circular 2011-004 attached to their franchises.
The non-issuance of show-cause orders in past transport strikes may have made striking a habit among complaining jeepney operators and drivers so this time, “I will make sure na ma-issue-han kun sin-o ga-upod sa strike,” said Osmeña.
Parcon said they were ready to answer the show-cause orders.
“We’re not scared. Total i-phaseout man kami,” he said.
The two-day transport strike that started yesterday is a protest against the modernization program of LTFRB which includes phasing out public utility jeepneys 15 years old and older.
This is the second strike of jeepney drivers and operators in three months. They joined a nationwide strike just this Feb. 27 against the jeepney phaseout.
Osmeña apologized to people inconvenienced by the transport strike. He went around the city yesterday checking the situation.
He thanked various government agencies and local government units for making available their vehicles to transport people.
As of 3 p.m. yesterday, a total of 5,412 stranded commuters availed themselves of the Iloilo City government’s “free ride” during the first day of the nationwide transportation strike, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Of the 5,412 commuters served, 2,569 were in-bound (going to the city) while 1,043 were out-bound (going out of the city).
Forty-eight service vehicles of the city government, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Health, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology were deployed to various transport terminals (barangays Ungka, Hibao-an, Mohon, Tagbak, Ceres bus terminal, Mandurriao Plaza, Jaro Plaza, La Paz market, city hall, provincial capitol).
The city government started the deployment of its vehicles and medical teams as early as 5:30 a.m.
LTFRB-6 also allowed two Ceres buses to enter the City Proper from their terminal in Barangay Buhang, Jaro district. (With a report from the Iloilo City PIO/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
