Transport group leader says no to mandatory franchise consolidation

Piston National President George San Mateo has asked government to refrain from forcing jeepney operators to a mandatory franchise consolidation, which will only benefit corporations.

“Hindi dapat ipilit ng gobyerno ang mandatory consolidation of franchise.  Dapat ‘yon voluntary ‘yon, kung may mga operator na gusto nilang mag-consolidate, okay lang,” San Mateo said on Monday, after the Transport Unity Summit in Manila.

(Government should not force the mandatory consolidation of franchise.  It should be voluntary, if there are operators who want to consolidate, it’s fine.)

San Mateo explained that if franchises are unified under a single corporate management, it would restrict the business of individual franchise owners.

“Kasi ‘pag kinonsolidate mo na ‘yan, at ang mananaig dyan ay korporasyon, ‘yong maliliit na operator wala nang say ‘don,” he said.

‘Yong maliliit na operator na siyang may ari ng mga unit, ay mapupunta at the mercy no’ng mga magbubuo ng mga korporasyon,” San Mateo claimed.

(If you consolidate the franchises and the corporations would prevail, the small operators would have no say.  The small operators who own the units would be at the mercy of those who created the corporations.)

On March 18, 2018, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) released a Memorandum Circular requiring the consolidation of franchises to create bigger fleets, to ensure a more efficient system of transportation.

However, San Mateo said that if LTFRB’s reason is for an efficient fleet management and maintenance, then there is no need to consolidate as independent associations can do it — if they are not yet doing it.

“Kaya namang mag-fleet management ng isang asosasyon eh.  Ang sinasabi kasi ng gobyerno dapat fleet management for efficient operation.  Kahit ang mga franchise ay manatiling pagmamay-ari ng individual na operator, pwedeng magpatupad ‘yong mga asosasyon at pederasyon ng fleet management,” San Mateo noted.

(Associations can do fleet management.  Government is saying that fleet management is needed for efficient operation.  Even if the franchise belongs to the individual operators, associations and federations can still implement the fleet management.)

“Bukod sa centralized dispatching na ginagawa naman ng mga asosasyon ngayon, pwede naman gawin ng asosasyon ang centralized maintenance eh,” he said.

(Aside from centralized dispatching that associations are doing right now, they can also do centralized maintenance.) /je