Gov’t to provide rides for passengers affected by transport strike

FILE: The Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator ng Pilipinas Genuine Organization (Stop and Go) Coalition will hold demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday to protest the phasing out of old jeepneys through the PUV modernization program. (Photo: Partido Manggagawa/ Facebook)

MANILA — The government will provide rides to passengers who will be affected by the transport strike to be staged by a group opposing the public utility vehicle modernization program and phaseout of dilapited jeepneys on Monday.

Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board Spokesperson Aileen Lizada said some 70 buses that would charge PHP10 for non-airconditioned and PHP12 for airconditioned buses, would be available in the following staging areas:

• Monumento in front of MCU southbound
• SM Marikina
• Luneta Parade Ground
• HK Sun Plaza Southwest Integrated Provincial Pasay City
• TechnoHub Quezon City
• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) parking lot
• Camp Aguinaldo

The MMDA will provide 10 government buses and military trucks, identified as Kalayaan Rides, at its parking lot. All government vehicles will be for free.

As of 7 a.m., around 500 passengers were stranded in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, MMDA Spokesperson Celine Pialago said in a television interview.

She said the MMDA is considering deploying additional vehicles in case the number of stranded passengers further increases due to the ongoing transport strike.

“We will be likely providing more government vehicles as the number of stranded passengers are quite significant. The PNP and MMDA personnel will be in the area to assist the stranded passengers,” she added.

The Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) will monitor areas where harassment and threats against drivers and operators that will not participate in the strike are reported. Enforcers of the MMDA and LTFRB will likewise be on the ground to monitor participants.

Lizada earlier said the Joint Quick Response Team (JQRT) has been activated in preparation for the transport strike. Its command and control base is at the MMDA Metrobase in Makati City.

The Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator ng Pilipinas Genuine Organization (Stop and Go) Coalition will hold demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday to protest the phasing out of old jeepneys through the PUV modernization program. (PNA)