Transport strike paralyzes Cebu City (8 a.m.)
CEBU CITY — Between 60 to 70 percent of public vehicles in major cities in Metro Cebu ground to halt on Monday after the Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (Nadsu) launched a transport strike.
The strike paralyzed public transport in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay. Nadsu, supported by allied people’s organizations, launched the strike to protest the continuing increases in prices of petroleum products.
Cebu City and Mandaue City Governments deployed their buses and multicabs to service stranded passengers.
Major colleges and universities also suspended classes Monday.
Councilor Jack Jakosalem said some of the jeepneys, which did not participate in the transport strike, could have serviced the stranded passengers; however, the suspension of classes by the different schools compounded the problem.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) did its part of the bargain and approved the provisional increase of P0.50, raising to P7 the minimum fare in Central Visayas.
Ruben Rama, Nadsu secretary general, said they will continue with the strike to pressure the government to grant their four demands, which include approval of their petition to raise the minimum fare in Central Visayas to P8.50.
Pump prices increased by P1.50 during the weekend, raising the price of a liter of diesel to P53.26 and that of gasoline to P60.44. (Sunnex)
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