LTFRB: No stranded passengers amid transport strike

A two-day transport strike launched Monday by Piston and Manibela had little impact, with few public jeepney drivers joining the protest and no commuters reported stranded, according to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

In a statement, LTFRB chief Teofilo Guadiz III said few public jeepney drivers and operators joined the transport protest, although it has deployed free shuttle buses and law enforcement to maintain order during the strike.

He also stressed that the photos circulating on social media showing a throng of commuters waiting for public transport were regular situations on a Monday morning.

The report comes after transport groups Piston and Manibela called anew on the abolition of the government’s Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) and the renewal of franchises and registrations for all Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) operators, including those who choose not to participate in the modernization program.

However, Department of Transportation (DoTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista stressed that the calls for scrapping the PTMP was “non-negotiable.”

“We cannot turn our back on the vast majority of transport groups that understand and subscribe to the public transport modernization program,” Bautista said.

The PTMP requires PUV operators to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations to access business financing for modern jeepney units.

The DoTr said that at least 87 percent of PUVs have already consolidated their franchises.

Meantime, local governments of Caloocan and Malabon released stand-by vehicles during the transport strike and the local government of Caloocan said that there were are no transport groups from both Caloocan City and North Caloocan that participated in the strike.

In anticipation of the strike, the Caloocan LGU had 20 stand-by vehicles just in case there will be an unexpected influx of passengers.

Over at Malabon, the local government prepared six vehicles in anticipation of possible stranded passengers.

“We know the struggle that our commuters experience as they go in and out of the city that’s why we prepared free vehicles that can bring them to their destination for free.” Malabon City Administrator Dr. Alexander Rosete said.

In other developments, Piston national president Mody Floranda pleaded the Supreme Court to act on their petition seeking the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the implementation of the PTMP.

In a six-page motion, the group cited the several extensions made by the DoTr and LTFRB in the deadline for the implementation of their issuances that mandate PUV operators and drivers to consolidate into cooperatives or corporations as part of the modernization program.

To recall, the court was told by the group that on 15 July 2024, it was surprised to find out that LTFRB issued Resolution 53 allowing unconsolidated PUVs to continue plying their routes in areas where there is low compliance of consolidation.

The resolution, according to the group, covers 2,645 routes around the country but stressed that it no longer imposed any deadline to comply with the PTMP.