Better life for PUV drivers

If the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) would be able to work well together, drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs), starting with bus drivers, have a bright future ahead of them – and so would motorists and pedestrians. 

In a recent interview with LTFRB chairman Jaime Jacob we were apprised of what are being done to see the end of the local transport sector’s “boundary system” and hopefully the single-minded drivers’ culture of getting as many passengers as possible, no matter what the cost in terms of safety or inconvenience to other road users.

The objective is for PUV drivers to be compensated like any regular employee with at least the minimum wage of the region the driver works in and to be entitled to all of a regular employee’s benefits like SSS, health benefits, leaves, housing loans, etc. The belief is that when drivers no longer have to go beyond his required “boundary” or the required amount that he has to turn over the operator of the vehicle at the end of the day in order to put food into the family’s dinning table, the practice of wantonly maneuvering his vehicle in a position to get the most number of passengers even if it would mean causing a traffic gridlock, staying in loading areas as long as possible for the same objective or to race to the next stop ahead of other drivers again for the same purpose would be radically lessened if not totally eradicated.

Aside from earning the prescribed minimum wage and being afforded the usual law-mandated employees’ benefits, the drivers would also be entitled to an additional performance salary, which would be part of a certain percentage of the operator’s net income. This would mean of course some level of transparency regarding the financial performance of the operator. And this would be determined by the required submission of their annual Financial Statement and Income Tax Return.

In order to achieve this there should be an operator/driver meeting prior to the submission of a Labor Standard Compliance Certificate to the DOLE with the LTFRB furnished, the deadline of which shall be on July 30, 2012, otherwise the operator’s franchise shall not be renewed, unless of course an extension of the deadline would be sought and allowed by the LTFRB with the imprimatur from the President.

This entire new process would be tough for the small-time operators, but then rendering public service or public conveyances is no miniscule task that should be undertaken only by professionals or those for the long haul – not a “mom and pop” type of operation, which obviously is one of the major causes of our lackluster kind of public transport. For this reason LTFRB chairman Jacob encourages small operators to form mergers or consortiums if they want to stay in the transport business.

This paradigm shift had been talked about and considered in many past administrations that looked into the possible causes of PUV drivers’ lack of discipline and wanton disregard for traffic rules and regulations – but they stayed that way – idle talk.

It’s about time we improve the lives of our public utility drivers with this radical change in the way they are compensated. And the only ones who would probably oppose this, aside of course from the small-time operators, are the drivers who make maneuvering their vehicles in advantageous positions, those who stay for eternity in loading zones and those who drive like F1 race drivers to the next stop all in the name of filling their vehicles with passengers to the brim to the detriment of other drivers and road users, as their way of life to put food on the table.

Motorist wants to experience the NLEX convenience at the SLEX

A regular reader who’s a motorist from the south sends woes at the SLEX.

Mr. Myk Czahago L. Encarnacion writes, “I would like to submit to your attention the sorry plight that we, motorists from the south, are experiencing. It is such an insult to us users of the Tollway who are paying so much to experience the following:

A) Approaching the Filinvest exit in such a sorry state is a big slap on our faces. Rough road that only 4x4 vehicles would love, big potholes, traffic almost all day due to lack of personnel (no more ambulant cashiers anymore).

B) Approaching the Alabang Viaduct from the south would also welcome us with potholes. And from the Viaduct under the Filinvest Flyover, potholes are also present that accidents are indeed waiting to happen anytime.

C) Susana Heights Tollbooths going to Manila are sorry sights too. I don’t know if the management of the tollway knows how to really manage traffic. They have 2 toll booths, one is dedicated for the ePass users and the other one is mixed. Obviously, motorists from Muntinlupa and San Pedro are just too many, so behold, a huge daytime nightmare will welcome you each morning when you need to enter the Tollway. They should have maximized the 2 booths making them mixed ones. This is also the sorry state of the Biñan Tollbooth going to Manila. They have a tollbooth dedicated to ePass and Card users for the Calamba bound and yet they just have one mixed booth for Manila.

D) I can’t imagine that they installed tollbooths from both ends of the tollways which I think are just a waste of money and overheads. Before they implemented it, it was a simple thing that when you don’t have Toll Card, obviously, you came from the farthest. These booths are just hampering the speed of travel.

I’m hoping too that one day, I would be able to experience the NLEX convenience at the SLEX.”

I can only say that these concerns, together with others that I have written about in this column before, like laxity of the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations should be deeply looked into by the operators of the SLEX areas referred to.

Opposition to the motorcycle lane

Another regular column reader, Mr. John Stephen Escudero Sarte writes his opposition to the EDSA motorcycle lane, “I would like to bring your attention to the problem that the motorcycle community is currently facing which is the MMDA’s motorcycle lane. There are a lot of oppositions on the said motorcycle lane not only from motorcycle riders but also from drivers of cars. We, the Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO), along with different motorcycle clubs and organizations from Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, will have a peaceful ride from Taguig C5 to Quezon City memorial circle via the MMDA office in EDSA. Participants of this ride will use the Motorcycle Lane.

Thank you for your letter Mr. Sarte, but with all due respect to you and your organization and in fairness to MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino, this plan of putting up motorcycles lanes in EDSA came up right after the huge success of those similarly enforced in Commonwealth Avenue and President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard a couple of months ago. There have been several news items about it and I wonder if that early you have officially expressed your opposition to the idea.

But your planned peaceful ride is a democratic expression that should be allowed and even encouraged. I just hope that your responsible organization and its members would keep it as such – a peaceful democratic expression.

Another remarkable Kia dealership

Those from areas east of the metro like Marikina, Antipolo, etc., have surely seen the outstanding Kia dealership with an expansive showroom and equally huge service area along Sumulong Highway in the boundary of Cainta and Marikina.

This is the Kia Metro East dealership that’s being managed by Mr. Mike Mabilog. If the name seems to sound familiar, he’s actually the son of the retired president of Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC), the country’s exclusive distributors of Kia vehicles, Mr. Felix Mabilog. This father-and-son combination of experience and youth spell ultimate customer satisfaction for those in the area and even those that are not but have had the chance to deal with the tandem.

Although having started its operation several months ago, its formal inauguration and blessing was held last Friday, February 17. And judging by the list of attendees, which includes Columbian Autocar president Ginia Domingo, vice president Dodie Ganac, marketing services manager Boying Soriano complete with dealer development manager, Chut Velasquez, this dealership must be on top of the CAC list of dealerships.

And speaking of my good friend, Felix Mabilog, who really looks like he is in the pink of health, well rested and looking fresh in his retirement, I guess he now feels like he has rested and relaxed long enough to miss being in the middle of the action in the local auto industry. Because he’s all geared up to plunge in once again and meet head on the huge challenge of handling a European automobile luxury brand. And very soon, in a week’s time Felix will be saying “oui, oui” instead of just plain yes, yes.

Happy Motoring!!!

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