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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Artes: MMDA ready for transport strike, no suspension of number coding

Artes: MMDA ready for transport strike, no suspension of number coding

Published Dec 13, 2023 09:22 am

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will not suspend the number coding on Thursday, Dec. 14, the first day of Piston’s two-day transport strike, as the agency expressed its readiness to respond to all its possible impact in Metro Manila.

MMDA chairman Don Artes said they are banking on the past experiences in the past and the existing template in responding to transport strike in effectively handling another round of strike of some drivers and operators protest action on Dec. 14 and 15.

“Our preparations in the past would always lead to minimal disruption to the riding public, We will continue doing so in the case of a transport strike starting tomorrow,” said Artes.

He said they will start monitoring the transport strike on Thursday through a command center at the MMDA.

He said around 686 vehicles from MMDA, local government units and other government agencies will be on standby.

Artes said the focus of deployment and prepositioning of vehicles that will be used for free rides is in the areas of Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela and Parañaque. 

But this early, Artes expressed confidence that the transport strike will have minimal effects anew since a number of jeepney drivers and operators have already signified their intention not to join. 

Piston (Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide) said around 100,000 operators and drivers nationwide will join the transport strike.

The group has been calling for junking of an order from the Department of Transportation which serves as the guideline in providing franchises under the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program, and the lifting of the Dec. 31 deadline for jeepney drivers and operators to consolidate either into a corporation or a cooperative.

President Marcos, however, stood by the decision of the DOTr not to lift the deadline of consolidation, which is the initial step in modernizing the fleet of public transportation in the country.

So far, around 61 percent of all PUV units in the country have already consolidated.

Artes, however, expressed doubts that the transport strike will be supported by a large number of jeepney drivers and operators and eventually paralyzed the public transportation in Metro Manila. 

He also disclosed that the MMDA will not suspend the number coding on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15. 

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