• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Traditional jeepney drivers in Bacolod City are planning to stage a 5-day transport strike from December 20 to 25, as a Christmas gift to the officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), for their failure to take action on their complaint against the mandatory consolidation scheme.
The drivers had earlier expressed their conformity regarding the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP) of the government on a personal voluntary basis, but at the same time ventilated their vehement objection to the mandatory consolidation scheme.
Rudy Cathedral, who heads the Kabakod Negros United Transport Coalition, yesterday said about 1,000 members of KNETCO, Bakod-Manibela, and United Divers Operators Center (UNDOC) held a transport strike yesterday on the deadline of the extension given them to consolidate.
Cathedral said they do not want to consolidate, believing that these cooperatives will eventually face bankruptcy. They prefer to have their traditional jeepneys undergo rehabilitation, and they believe their units will not be phased out because majority are against the consolidation scheme.
About 1,000 PUJ units are currently operating without permits, registration, franchise, and insurance.
Acting Bacolod Mayor El Cid Familiaran has requested City Administrator Lucille Gelvolea to provide vehicles to commuters who may be stranded during the transport strike.
Cathedral said many commuters were affected by the transport strike which started at 6 a.m. yesterday. The buses provided by the city government could not accommodate them all. They do not want this to happen but it showed that the number of modernized jeepneys in Bacolod are not enough to cater to the riding public.
He said they were dispersed by the police during their protest at the Bata flyover yesterday and ordered to transfer to the Bacolod City Public Plaza. Their lawyer met with the police since they had no permit to hold a protest there. He recalled that they were not given a permit by the city during their previous assembly even though they have complied with the requirements. They will again try to secure a permit for their protest set on Dec. 20 to 25.
Cathedral is appealing to the city officials of Bacolod to help the transport sector in the current crisis it is facing, which is also affecting thousands of daily commuters. He also reminded Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of the assurance he made to them on September 17 that their permits will be renewed and that they will be allowed to operate alongside the modernized jeepneys.*