Palace urged to stop PUJ phaseout

MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan bloc yesterday made a last-minute call for Malacañang to stop the implementation of the public utility vehicle modernization plan (PUVMP) which would lead to the phase out of traditional jeepneys.

“The Dec. 31 deadline for the mandatory franchise consolidation forces over 60,000 jeepney operators to give up their franchises and join just a few transport cooperatives or companies,” Gabriela partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas said.

She added the deadline “impedes the constitutionally protected freedom of association of jeepney drivers and operators.”

“Drivers and operators are being pressured to join transport cooperatives or companies, disbanding their current jeepney associations and putting their livelihoods at risk,” she maintained.

The Kabataan partylist said jeepney drivers being forced to consolidate “under threat of revoking their franchises is manipulative and plays to the jeepney drivers’ worst fears of having their livelihoods forever taken away from them.”

“Adding further that this manipulative policy is not backed by data on the ground and does not even address that consolidation will not resolve the worsening traffic in the metro and the looming transport crisis – all this shows bad, ineffective and dictatorial leadership,” the group pointed out.

Brosas reiterated that the PUVMP will only lead to a “severe crisis” in the public transportation sector, affecting not only jeepney drivers, but millions of Filipino commuters.