Cotabato City drivers, operators join nationwide transport holiday

COTABATO CITY— Public transport here was paralyzed after all public utility vehicles ceased operations, as drivers and operators joined the nationwide transport holiday on Monday.

READ: Commuters told: Brace for nationwide ‘transport holiday’ on March 23

To cushion the impact of the transport strike, the Cotabato City Police Office used its mobility assets to transport students and other commuting residents.

Bads Ali, chairman of the New Cotabato Transport Services Cooperatives, said their participation depends on the decision of their national transport cooperative.

“Our call is for the government to grant us a fare increase as the price of fuel has gone up several times,” Ali said in the vernacular.

Ali said more than 1,500 transport drivers and operators agreed to join the strike because “even if we continue to operate, our income only goes to the gasoline stations, and we are left with only a few pesos for our families.”

He said a P5,000 government subsidy is only a temporary solution, noting that “once that P5,000 is gone in 15 days, we are back to zero.”

Ali said the real solution is to allow transport groups to increase fares.

“We ask for understanding from our passengers; all of us are affected. We expect the national government to act on this for the good of all,” Ali said./coa