Cebu drivers’ group confirms transport strike this week

CEBU — The Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo is determined to push through with their transport strike within the week, as the Alyansa sa Nagkahiusang Drayber-Operator Alang sa Reporma (ANDAR) is set to file a petition for a P1.50 increase in jeepney fare on Thursday.

NADSU chairman Anthony Pogado said that the strike is in protest of the series oil price increases as well as an appeal to the government to scrap the Oil Deregulation Law.

ANDAR president Jaime Moncada said they will file a P1.50 increase for the first five kilometers but they are still to finalize whether to seek an increase for the succeeding kilometers.

Moncada said that ANDAR itself will not declare support for the upcoming transport strike but will not prohibit members from joining.

"We are not condemning the upcoming strike. But ANDAR will not declare its support, it is up to our individual members," Moncada said.

Meanwhile, Steve Cañas, chairman of the Visayan United Drivers Transport and Allied Services (VUDTRASCO) said they will also not declare support for the strike but will not discourage members from joining.

The mother organization of VUDTRASCO, the Katipunan ng Pangsasakyan ng Pilipinas, Inc. has already filed a P1 fare hike in jeepney’s minumum fare in Manila.

But Cañas said that he is expecting that the LTFRB will not grant any increase especially during an election period.

Oil companies in the country have raised fuel prices by as much as P0.60 per liter for gasoline and P0.30 per liter for diesel and kerosene.

This is on top of the increase of P0.80 per liter for gasoline and P0.50 per liter for diesel and kerosene implemented last January.

Since 2000 the price of diesel has already gone up by more than P7.00 per liter. — Freeman News Service