Protesting jeepney operators say that what they need isn’t a longer deadline, but stronger financial support from the government to consolidate and upgrade their fleets.
The main worry of protesting jeepney operators and drivers centers around the high cost of the consolidation and modernization program, such as when forming a cooperative. According to the Office of Transportation Cooperatives, jeepney operators must raise P300,000 in paid-up capital. Operators may have to spend between P20,000 to P30,000 each to comply with other requirements, such as clearing their income tax returns. For a cooperative of 15 operators, they may need P750,000.
For instance, Guadiz said that the LTFRB will allow old jeepney units to still be used, so long as they are rehabilitated and made to comply with Philippine national standard of jeepneys. The LTFRB is also willing to further extend its deadlines for route rationalization and modernization, but it maintained that the consolidation requirement was non-negotiable.
Ahead of the strike, the government assembled an interagency monitoring team to dispatch vehicles to assist commuters who may be stranded by the strike. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said that only 88 of the 1,680 vehicles readied were deployed to provide free rides for 3,584 passengers.
A conductor of a minibus along Commonwealth also told Rappler that commuters were few and far between, as minibuses waited in line for passengers at the terminal. WATCH: While against jeepney phaseout, some drivers opt out of strike for commuters’ sake
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