MANILA — No routes were paralyzed after some jeepney groups held a transportation strike starting Monday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said.

Manibela transport strike starts, affects commuters

The strike, where hundreds of jeepneys in different parts of the country will suspend operations, stretches from March 24 to 26.

“Walang pagparalisa ng public transport… prepared ang lahat and also because maraming bumibiyahe, mga hindi sumama sa tigil pasada,” said LTFRB spokesperson Ariel Inton.

“We can attribute this to a lot of factors like napaghandaan ng government agencies and even the private sector,” he said.

“‘Yung mga bumibiyahe, dati may reports na na-ha-harass. Wala tayong report ngayon niyan,” he added.

Government agencies have also deployed “Libreng Sakay” (Free Ride) vehicles along affected routes, he said.

While the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies are still open to dialogues with groups opposing the jeepney program, the agency is not inclined to heed calls to totally scrap the policy.

“Ilagay natin sa tamang perspective ng dialogue. When you impose your own will, hindi na dialogue 'yun… Kailangan may give and take tayo diyan,” the LTFRB official said.

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“Kung ang pakikidialogue ay para tanggalin 'yung polisiya, tanggalin 'yung programa, mukhang hindi uubra 'yun kasi marami nang pumaloob sa programa and this is in the direction of having a more modernized public transport,” he said.

“Kapag 'yung programa gusto mong mareview, puwede naman 'yun while 'yung programa is going on so tingnan natin kung ano yung mga hinihingi nung mga yun,” he added.

So far, 86 percent of public utility vehicles with franchises have agreed to join the program, according to data from the LTFRB.

“Mas marami ang pumapayag sa programang ito at 'yung pagpayag nila ay may aksyon. They already went through the process at marami doon ay naaaprubahan na din,” Inton said.

“May mga transport groups na ang kanilang pananaw dito ay mapapaganda ang kanilang hanapbuhay dito at magiging mas maayos 'yung pagsilbi nila sa riding public,” he said.

But of this number only 43 percent have approved applications.

Public utility vehicles with pending applications are still allowed to ply their respective routes while awaiting approval from the agency, Inton said.

“Once you file the application for consolidation, may mga rights and privileges ka pa,” he said.

“‘Yung deadline to apply is sarado na… But if we have a dialogue puwedeng kinukumbinsi mo. I think 'yun ang isang puwedeng pag isipan sa ngayon,” he said.

“Maaaring buksan ang late filing of applications pero that depends on policies.”

Meantime, Inton said that the LTFRB has yet to release a decision on a petition to hike jeepney fares anew.