Metro Manila commuters stranded due to transport strike

MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of commuters along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila were stranded after several public utility buses (PUBs) staged a transport strike this morning to protest the number-coding scheme, a radio report said.

In Fairview, Quezon City, commuters lined up along the highway as PUBs refused to ferry commuters in protest of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) implementation of the number-coding scheme.

Policemen were forced to flag down some of the plying PUBs along the highway and let the stranded passengers board the vehicles, it said.

Reports said that along the stretch of Edsa, commuters also filled the sidewalks, waiting for a ride to their respective destinations as PUBs were also substantially cut down by the number coding scheme of the MMDA.

The Integrated Metro Bus Operators Association (IMBOA) vowed to hold a general strike today to dramatize their opposition to the number-coding scheme for PUBs. The number coding will be enforced from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and there will be no window hours.