Piston set to strike Thursday ahead of franchise consolidation deadline

PLACARD PROTEST Members of transport group Piston, or Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide, in Manila voice out their sentiments against the government’s modernization program for passenger vehicles on the first day of a three-day nationwide strike that kicked off on November 20. —RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) will hold a strike starting December 14 (Thursday).

The organization is urging the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to junk the deadline for franchise consolidation applications.

Piston National President Mody Floranda on Monday said the strike is initially scheduled for December 14 to 15, but its duration will depend on whether or not LTFRB will heed their call.

Floranda said that with the deadline set on December 31, LTFRB risks displacing thousands of drivers nationwide.

“Ito ba ang pamasko sa atin ng DOTr (Department of Transportation) at LTFRB? Ang pagkawala ng kabuhayan ng libo-libong tsuper at operator?” he asked in a statement.

(Is this the gift from DOTr and LTFRB for us? The loss of livelihood for thousands of drivers and operators?)

“Mahiya naman sila. Andami nilang pamilyang gugutumin pagpasok ng bagong taon,” he pleaded.

(They should be ashamed. They will cause hunger for many families as the new year begins.)

According to Piston, approximately 80 percent of small-time operators may lose their jobs at the end of the year if LTFRB does not remove its deadline for franchise consolidation.

“Ano ba ang pumipigil kay Guadiz? Isang Memorandum Circular lang nila, mababasura na ang deadline,” Floranda inquired, referring to LTFRB chairperson Teofilo Guadiz.

(What’s stopping Guadiz? The deadline can be thrown out with just one Memorandum Circular from them.)

“Kung gusto nila, kami na ang mag-draft para pipirmahan na lang niya,” he suggested.

(If they want, we can even draft it for them; they need to sign it.)

Piston is assailing the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) and its mandate for drivers and operators to surrender individual franchises for consolidation.

Consolidation means only one franchise, held by a single cooperative or corporation, will be permitted to operate on a specific route.

LTFRB calls this system “one route, one franchise, one operator.”

/abc