Almost 1,700 commuters served by gov’t vehicles in Metro Manila jeep strike

January 24, 2018

Nearly 1,692 commuters were served by government vehicles as jeepneys did not ply several routes in Metro Manila, an interagency group in charge of traffic said Wednesday.

Aileen Lizada of the Land Transportation Franchising Board, a member of the Inter-Agency Council on Traffic ( IACT), said in a Viber message 20 vehicles were used during the morning rush hour.

Lizada said 12 routes were affected in the metropolis. Urban transport woes were magnified when 9-11 Metro Trail Transit -3 were running across EDSA instead of the usual 12, with two stoppages recorded as of Wednesday evening.

Jeepney operator George San Mateo, who has been opposing the public vehicles modernization program, said they were also protesting the IACT's drive to stop what agency believes to be old, decrepit jeeps off the streets.

Lizada said the drivers of these jeeps were told they had to fix their units within two months or they cannot ply their routes. This campaign began on January 2, with the transport department saying roadworthy jeeps could remain on the streets until 2020.

She said last year around 204,000 jeepneys are operating nationwide and 75 percent are estimated  to be  over 15 years old.

San Mateo, who heads the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON), said they did not stage a strike but held a march to the LTFRB to voice their concerns.  DMS