No commuters were stranded on the first day of strike by two major transport groups in Metro Manila and other parts of the country, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said on Monday, Sept. 23.
LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III said they have been monitoring the situation particularly in Metro Manila and based on the morning rush hours, he said they have not monitored cases of commuters having difficulty getting public transportation more than what they experience during regular days.
“We have not monitored stranded commuters in all the areas that we monitored. The reason is that only a few people joined the transport strike,” said Guadiz during a Palace briefing.
He also attributed the minimal to zero effect of the transport strike to the contingency measures of sending vehicles for free rides and the deployment of policemen who are making sure that those who did not join the strike would not be harassed.
Manibela and Piston started the two-day strike on Monday as a way of opposing the implementation of the Public Transportation Modernization Program (PTMP).
Several schools were forced to shift to online classes after learning of the transport strike.
In an earlier statement, the LTFRB said they have already coordinated with the local government units and other government agencies to ensure the sufficiency of vehicles that would transport commuters in cases of shortage of passenger jeepneys.
“The LTFRB respects the right of drivers and operators to free expression as enshrined in the Constitution, and acknowledges the concerns of the transport sector. We remain committed to ensuring the commuting public’s access to transportation," said Guadiz in a statement.
Department of Transportation Undersecretary Andy Ortega, for his part, said they have not monitored violent incidents as a result of the transport strike, specifically on police intervention to protect drivers who did not join.
Transport officials, however, said they will continuously monitor the situation until the last day of strike on Tuesday, including placing government vehicles on standby in cases of stranded commuters in some areas.
Manibela and Piston have conducted a number of transport strikes since the consolidation of jeepney operators for transport modernization last year.
President Marcos earlier opposed the delay on the implementation of the PTMP, saying sufficient time was already given to transport operators to consolidate, and that delaying the program is unfair to more than 80 percent of transport operators who already decided to join the modernization program.