CEBU CITY – Transportation was normal in Metro Cebu on Monday, March 6, as no transport group joined the nationwide week-long transport strike.
Transport operations were normal throughout the day but some schools decided to suspend classes and shifted to online.
The city government of Cebu also prepared buses in case there are stranded passengers.
Instead of holding a transport strike, the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON)-Cebu chapter held a two-hour picket rally in front of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Central Visayas (LTFRB-7) here.
The transport strike opposed the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program but Greg Perez, PISTON-Cebu chairman, said they did not join the strike because the situation in Cebu is different.
“The situation here is different because 90 percent of transport operators are already members of cooperatives. They have consolidated their franchises unlike in the National Capital Region where the majority is not part of cooperatives,” said Perez.
Perez said their group is not against modernization but they are questioning the process of the program’s implementation.
He said drivers and operators should be given more time as they could not afford to purchase modern jeepneys.
Perez added that it remains unclear to them how subsidies from the government can be availed of in acquiring modern units.
The group lamented that acquiring modern PUVs is expensive and the government should just allow rehabilitation of existing units.
During the rally, the group called for the ouster of LTFRB-7 Director Eduardo Montealto for allegedly favoring certain PUV operators.
Montealto allowed the picket to be held, saying it was the group’s constitutional right. He denied the group’s accusation against him.
He said that some transport groups are against him after he led the strict enforcement of anti-fixer policy at the regional office.
Montealto added that the LTFRB-7 has initiated several dialogues with transport groups and cooperatives in connection with the implementation of the transportation modernization program.
As of February this year, Montealto said there are at least 1,214 modern PUVs operating mostly in Metro Cebu.
He said that there are about 200 units whose requirements are still being processed.
There are about 2,200 traditional units that were allowed to continue plying their routes. “Metro Cebu has the highest number of drivers and operators who are using modern PUJs and are members of cooperatives,” said Montealto.