MANILA, Philippines — Transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) staged its first strike in 2018 against the government’s plan to scrap old jeepneys—icons of the post-war era.
Piston, along with No To Jeepney Phaseout Coalition, led the protest action early Monday.
Several schools and local government units nationwide have suspended works and classes Monday due to the transport strike.
Cities in Metro Manila have also deployed vehicles to assist commuters affected by the transport strike.
Piston president George San Mateo reiterated the group does not oppose the government’s move to modernize public utility vehicles, but highlighted that the drivers and operators could not afford the new models.
"We are not against modernization. We are against the phaseout of jeepneys by the government through a fake modernization enterprise," San Mateo said in Filipino in a statement.
"We should move for a true, national, just and pro-masses progress in public transportation. Service not enterprise," he added.
READ: 2,000 cops deployed for today’s transport strike
The government’s modernization program mandates that jeepney units aged 15 years and older will be replaced by electric-powered or Euro 4-compliant vehicles.
Jeepneys plying the roads are powered by Euro 2-compliant engines.
The reform in road-based public transportation seeks to phase out old and dilapidated jeepneys and replace them with high-quality transport systems that are environment-friendly and have greater capacity.
The program is also seen as a solution to decongest the traffic-choked streets of the country.
READ: Why some transport groups oppose PUV modernization
Last month, Piston held a protest march to protest the "Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok" program, the government’s campaign against dilapidated and smoke belching jeepneys.
During the Senate hearing last December, Transportation secretary Arthur Tugade said all public utility vehicles will be required to modernize after a three-year transition period. — with reports from Romina Cabrera