Transport groups set to to join Sep 30 nationwide strike

By October 1, 2019Headlines, News

TRANSPORT groups in Pangasinan, including Dagupan City, will join the nationwide strike on Monday.

Last Thursday, September 26, the Alliance of United Transport Organizations Province-wide (AUTOPRO) – Pangasinan Thursday morning, pledged to join the massive strike to protest the phaseout of jeepneys.

AUTOPRO-Pangasinan president Bernard Tuliao, in an interview, however, clarified that  that they are not against the government’s plan on phasing out jeepneys 15 years and older, but that they need more time to adjust.

“Hindi kami tutol sa modernization, ang request lang naming ay bigyan kami ng kaunting panahon dahil hindi pa naman lahat handa sa modernization program ng gobyerno”, Tuliao said.

Tuliao said he expects about 1,600, or 80% of AUTOPRO-affiliated jeepneys in the province to join the strike. AUTOPRO-Pangasinan has 20 transport groups under its wing.

The transportation group head said the strike will be a one-day event just to manifest their opposition to the plan to implement the modernization plan.

Meanwhile, Nasrudin Talipasan, regional director of Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), urged jeepney drivers not to push through with the strike and instead pursue to peaceful and amicable dialogue with government to discuss their concerns.

The LTFRB regional head said the three-year transition period set by the government has proven to be sufficient, citing capabilities of other transportation groups coping with the modernization plan, and the government consulted with all groups in the transportation industry, concluding with the three-year transition period.

Talipasan also reminded the jeepney drivers and operators that staging a strike is a violation of their franchise and warned that their franchises may be cancelled.

Meanwhile, Talipasan urged local government units to prepare to assist commuters in case the strike pushes through.

Magtulungan po tayo. May mga hinahanda na rin tayong contingency measures kung magpatuloy ang strike sa Monday. Pero habang papalapit ang araw na iyon, patuloy kaming mananawgan sa kanila na huwag nang ituloy ang strike”, Talipasan intoned. (Ahikam Pasion)

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