MANILA (UPDATED) — Transport group Manibela will stage a nationwide ‘protest caravan’ on Tuesday, January 16 — the latest in a string of protests to oppose the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program.
Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena said around 10,000 to 15,000 jeepney drivers and operators are expected to join the protest, including commuters and students.
Jeepneys that fail to join the consolidation under the modernization scheme will be tagged as “colorum” or unregistered beginning Feb. 1 and their franchises will be revoked.
Valbuena said they would call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to retract the impending revocation of franchises of unconsolidated jeepneys to allow drivers to continue with their livelihood, as he also warned of a possible shortage of jeepneys.
Jeepney drivers and operators oppose “modern jeepneys” because they are costly and say the scheme deprives single-unit operators of route franchises that will go to big corporations and transport cooperatives.
Some of them also argue that upgrading existing jeepneys will be a less expensive way to make them more fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly.
In an interview with TeleRadyo Servisyo, PISTON National President Mody Floranda said the group will launch their protest at the University of the Philippines Diliman at around 8 am Afterwards, at around 9 am, they will march towards Welcome Rotonda.
Floranda added that apart from the protest on Jan. 16, they are also planning to stage other protests in other areas.
According to Manibela, around 30,000 jeepneys in Metro Manila have not consolidated into cooperatives as one of the first steps in the PUV modernization program.
Manibela also expressed hope that the Supreme Court will issue a temporary relief against the jeepney phaseout.
Source: ABS-CBN News
