Striking Cebu drivers claim 50% transport paralysis

CEBU CITY — Two big transport groups here claimed to have successfully crippled more than half of the city’s transport system during their strike the other day in time for President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (NADSU) lifted its strike at about 5 p.m. after the rally of the Gloria Step Down Movement at the provincial Capitol.

The members of the Alliance of Transport Organizations Member Intra-Cebu City (ATOMIC) plied their routes at 2 p.m., while its allied organizations led by Laban ng Masa prepared for a caravan to the Malacañang in the South.

Acting city police director Melvin Gayotin said the protest rallies and strikes were carried out peacefully.

NADSU chairman Antonio Pogado claimed the most affected area was Mandaue City because "more than 90 percent" of the public utility jeepneys (PUJs) there joined the strike.

Many passengers, especially students and workers, were stranded and complained about the lack of PUJs.

They claimed that the transport system in the fourth district was also "100 percent affected" as the drivers there had begun their strike since Sunday.

About "70 percent" of jeepneys in Consolacion town also joined the strike, while the transport system in southern Cebu was "60 percent affected."

ATOMIC also claimed that the Apas, Lahug and Campo routes were "80 percent affected," while the transport system in Plaza housing was "50 percent" paralyzed.

ATOMIC press relations officer Pete Negara said "80 percent" of all jeepneys plying the Colon route joined the strike.

But in some areas, traffic was normal, even heavy.

In Labangon, for instance, most of the drivers did not join the strike and there were traffic jams along N. Bacalso Avenue.

Passengers were mainly stranded due to floodings in some parts of the city, especially on Colon and Sanciangko streets, caused by heavy rains in the early afternoon.

In Talisay City, except for protesters near the Asian College of Technology in Bulacao, there was no indication of a transport strike. As of 11 a.m., there were still Talisay-bound PUJs plying their routes.

Cebu City councilor Gerardo Carillo said Monday’s strike was the least effective he had seen in his five years as the action officer of the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council (CCDCC).

In fact, he said only five out of the 28 Kaohsiung buses and 10 out of the 50 city-leased multicabs were deployed to monitor the strike and accommodate stranded passengers.

Based on their monitoring, Carillo said most of the strikers were drivers plying Lahug-bound routes.

CCDCC personnel and traffic enforcers assigned to various chokepoints jotted down the names of the striking drivers to be endorsed to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for appropriate action, including the cancellation of the franchises of their vehicles, Carillo said.

Non-striking drivers, meanwhile, were given packed meals at noon as well as courtesy cards entitling them to the condonation of a traffic violation.

Some private schools and most public schools decided to cut classes short in anticipation of the strike, Carillo said.

At the Palace of Justice, Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr. issued a memorandum shortening the office hours of all court employees to 3 p.m.

The courts had to suspend or postpone hearings of cases or other court-related activities scheduled in the afternoon. — Freeman News Service