LTFRB ‘ready’ to fill gaps as week-long transport strike nears

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — As the week-long transport strike nears, the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday said it is ready to fill the gaps left to commuters when groups halt jeepney operations nationwide next week.

During the Wednesday hearing of the Senate committees on basic services and finance, LTFRB chairman Teofilo Guadiz III was asked if the government was prepared to cushion the effects of the looming strike of several transport groups.

“Kayang kaya namin punuan iyan. Kausap ko na ang Magnificent 7. Kasuma ko na ang mga bus owners association. And those routes na hindi mapupunuan, nandiyan na kami. Handa. Even for the peace and order, kausap na namin ang Philippine National Police and local government units. We are ready for next week,” Guadiz said.

(We are more than capable of filling the gaps. I’ve talked to the Magnificent 7. I’ve spoken to the bus owners association. And we’ll be ready for all these routes that won’t be filled. Even for peace and order, we’ve talked to the PNP and the LGUs. We are prepared for next week.)

‘Tigil Pasada’

Various transport groups have announced that they would stage a weeklong strike starting March 6, to protest the impending jeepney phaseout in the government’s implementation of the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization plan.

They had called on the LTFRB to scrap the June 30 deadline for traditional jeepney operators and drivers to join cooperatives or risk losing their franchises of provisional authorities.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has since appealed for the groups to reconsider the planned strike as he assured them that the government would further study and tweak the modernization scheme.

The LTFRB then declared another extension in the validity of the franchises of traditional jeepneys from June 30 to Dec. 31.

READ: As strike looms, gov’t moves jeepney franchise deadline

But Guadiz argued that this was not brought by the pressure from the strike since at least 90 percent of transport groups have signified support for the modernization plan.

Transport group Manibela, however, remains determined to push through with the planned strike from March 6 to March 12.

READ: Week-long transport strike on March 6 will continue, says Manibela

JPV/abc