Business as usual for commuters — LTFRB chief

It's business as usual for commuters on the second day of the public jeepney drivers and operators' strike, on Tuesday.

Thus, the assessment made by Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board Chairman Teofilo Guadiz III on the two-day of the transport strike organized by the Samahang Manibela Mananakay at Nagkaisang Terminal ng Transportasyon (MANIBELA) and the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) against the goverment's Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

Guadiz said the goverment and Metro Manila's local executives have provided "free rides" for the commuting public affected by the transport strike. This, he said, is aside from the "standby buses" in case the situation worsen.

"No sir. Business as usual for commuters," Guadiz told DAILY TRIBUNE when asked if the transport strike really affected the commuters.

However, the strike led by PISTON and MANIBELA has created a traffic jam since Monday, when they started a protest caravan from the University of the Philippines campus. They headed toward the LTFRB main office in East Avenue and inched their way toward Malacañang but were met by a police blockade at Welcome Rotunda, on the boundary of Quezon City and Manila.

"Yes, when they failed to cripple public transport, they created traffic mess," Guadiz said referring to the two jeepney groups' frustration to stop the implementation of PUVMP.

The striking jeepney organizations decided to hold a picket rally in front of the LTFRB and in Rotunda where they held an overnight protest program until Tuesday morning.

Guadiz, meanwhile, added that the protesting jeepney drivers and operators loses their right to join the government's PUVMP through consolidation by forming a cooperative or a corporation to run a fleet of modern jeep which are more environment friendly.

"Yes, colorum na sila," the LTFRB chief said, referring to the last deadline imposed by no less than President Bong Bong Marcos on 30 April, for all jeepney drivers and operators to join the consolidation.

The protesting jeepney organizations also decided to end their two-day protest by departing from Welcome Rotunda at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, stating that their members were exhausted after almost 48 hours of protesting.

"Ang importante na-i-parating natin ang aming hinaing (Most important is that we aired out concerns)," Mar Valbuena said, wishing that the President would once more show compassion toward them.