Parañaque jeepney strike strands thousands

Jeepney drivers in in Parañaque City briefly went on strike yesterday, paralyzing traffic and stranding thousands of commuters.

Close to 2,000 jeepney drivers, members of the Philippine Confederators of Drivers and Operators (PCDO)-Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO), called on local officials to act on their complaints.

They staged a rally at city hall starting at 6 a.m.

Efren de Luna, president of the PCDO-ACTO, complained that FX minivans have been competing with jeepneys for passengers, particularly those plying the Sucat Road to Baclaran area.

"Drivers of these vans are able to continue with their activity because they have the protection of the city government," De Luna said, adding that the competition was hurting their incomes.

He also alleged that a number of traffic personnel in Baclaran have been habitually extorting money from their members for non-existent traffic violation.

Parañaque Mayor Florencio Bernabe’s spokesman, Nelson Lacambra, said the city government will look into the complaints.

"As an initial step to prevent competition among vehicles plying the same routes, roofs of legitimate jeepneys would have to be painted white so they can easily be distinguished from colorum vehicles," Lacambra said.

"As to the transport group’s claim that city officials are giving drivers of these FX vans protection there is no truth to that. We will just have to look into all of their complaints."

FX drivers would have to coordinate and clarify with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board as to what is the exact/specific route they should take.

The protest ended around 11 a.m. after a dialogue between the drivers and city administrator Noli Aldip, who promised to address their grievances.