Free rides available during 2-day transport strike

Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy vehicles to provide rides to commuters who may be affected by the two-day strike of transport groups Manibela and Piston beginning Monday. In a radio interview Sunday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said police units were tasked to monitor their areas of jurisdiction and to assist stranded passengers. 'The order of our Chief PNP (Gen. Rommel Marbil) is to provide free rides to the stranded commuters,' Fajardo said. Free rides will also be provided by local government units, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. Transport groups Manibela and Piston continue to oppose the government's Public Transport Modernization Program and demand the following: junking of forced franchise consolidation; renewal of franchises and registrations for all public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, including those who choose not to consolidate; redirecting funds for the phaseout programs to the rehabilitatio n of traditional jeepneys and subsidies for local industries; and allowing the withdrawal of those who have made franchise consolidation. Senate President Francis Escudero recently met with Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista and Undersecretary for Road Transport and Infrastructure Jesus Ferdinand Ortega to make sure the PTMP has minimal impacts on drivers and operators. "We are all for organizing and modernizing the operations of our PUVs but we should also exert all efforts to include every driver and operator who have relied on jeepneys as their sources of livelihood," Escudero said in a statement. Fajardo said that while the government fully respects the right to protest, Manibela and Piston must also recognize the right of other transport operators and drivers to ply their routes. 'We are always ready and our police forces are always on standby,' she said. Source: Philippines News Agency