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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Trade & Industry devider Jeepney strike to cost billions of pesos in economic loss -ECOP  

Jeepney strike to cost billions of pesos in economic loss -ECOP  

Published Mar 7, 2023 09:23 am
The ongoing transport of the jeepney drivers and operators is expected to result in billions of pesos in losses to the domestic economy and brought Metro Manila back into the “Alert Level 2” during the Covid time, according to the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP). ECOP President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said this as he blamed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for insisting on the jeepney modernization program that is out of reach by the jeepney drivers and operators. “This will cost us hundreds of millions of pesos a day and billions if this will continue for a week,” warned Ortiz-Luis noting several workers who could not report for work, no face to face classes, halted operations of shuttle buses, and suspension of other economic activities, among others. “This brings us to the Alert Level 2 during the Covid when jeepneys were not allowed to ply the streets to help ease the transportation requirement of the ordinary workers and to keep the drivers productive,” said Ortiz-Luis adding that the jeepney was more appropriate during the Covid season because it is well ventilated. He noted that the Alert Level 2 of the Covid time had brought billions of pesos in economic loss a day. ECOP said it is wrong for the DOTr to force the jeepney operators to group themselves into cooperatives of 15 so they can buy their new fleet of transport vehicles, which are imported. “That (cooperatives of 15) will not work because they (drivers) themselves cannot even agree with each other,” he added. In addition, the price of the new jeepneys being peddled by the previous DOTr amounted to more than P2 million per unit. “Why are they pushing such unaffordable modernization program,” he said. Instead, ECOP has been urging the DOTr now to fix the iconic jeepneys by assisting drivers and operators in getting brand new engines, and improve the jeepneys’ safety features. The failure of the previous DOTr to consult with the drivers and operators now resulted in this costly transport strike, he noted. He urged the new DOTr secretary to consider the plight of the mass transport drivers in their modernization program. He also urged the jeepney drivers and operators to dialogue with Sec. Jaime Bautista and believe in the sincerity of the new secretary.
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