ILOILO CITY, Philippines —­­ The "No To PUJ, PUB, AUV Phaseout Coalition" —consisting of various transport groups from Iloilo City and province, and from other provinces in Panay and Negros islands — yesterday declared it will participate in the nationwide transport strike on Monday (February 27).

The coalition is protesting the Department of Transportation's plan to phase out jeepneys, 15 years old and above since its date of registration, and replacing these with the "expensive electronic" and Euro-4 engine jeepneys under the management of a private fleet company.

The coalition's press conference held on Friday was attended by PISTON-Panay, CIPJODA, ICLAJODA from Iloilo city and province, and HUGPONG-Capiz, FAIPTI-Aklan, and UNDOC-Negros, Central Lines' vans under CAVODA, and Calinog Bus Line, together with the progressive alliance, BAYAN-Panay.

The coalition was unanimous in the call to fight the DOTr’s plan, saying it will affect 600,000 Jeepneys nationwide and 12,000 more in Western Visayas. For Panay and Guimaras, that will be injuring the lives of more than 50,000 drivers, operators, and small-medium enterprises, which transactions also depend on public transport.

Edgar Salarda, president of PISTON-Panay, said “the DOTr’s plan will destroy the daily living of operators and drivers while making profits for the monopoly suppliers of electronic and Euro-4 engine jeepney and fleet companies, like Ceres Liner.”

Salarda also said commuters will be at the receiving end of this plan as it will be a way for monopoly companies to profit from fare increases. “The so-called modernization, when in essence is turning over to private sector the public transport system will only make the bigger companies richer through the corporatization of the transport sector,” he added.

Moreover, the DOTr’s modernization program includes unreasonable proposals on franchise and ownership of vans, buses and taxis amounting to P7 million capitalization per contract. According to the coalition, the transport strike is also a call to fight issues on oil price hike and excise tax.

The coalition instead proposed support from government to rehabilitate jeepneys and the establishment of an efficient, affordable, and mass-oriented public transport system as a solution to heavy traffic in parts of the country. (FREEMAN)