CEBU CITY -- Members of a transport group trooped to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Monday and demanded a stop to the implementation of higher fines for traffic violations.

Some members of Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (Nadsu) opted to stop plying their routes, resulting in a transport strike that Nadsu officials said they did not intend to happen.

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Aside from targeting Department Order 2008-39, which increased the rates of penalties imposed by the LTO on traffic violators, the drivers also complained about the removal of jeepney stops in certain routes that, they said, forced the drivers to violate rules by picking passengers up in "no stopping" areas.

LTO-Central Visayas Director Raul Aguilos, though, told them that his hands are tied and that he could not grant a moratorium on the implementation of the new penalty rates and give the drivers what they asked for.

But he promised to immediately send Nadsu's position paper to the transportation secretary's office and get feedback within the week.

He also promised to intercede for the drivers and bring up the concern on jeepney stops during Wednesday's meeting of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) board, of which the LTO is represented by Assistant Regional Director Edgar Catarungan.

At City Hall, Mayor Tomas Osmeña fumed over the incident, saying the LTO and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) are "inutile" for failing to take away the franchise of participating drivers and operators.

"I attribute one of the main contributing factors to the inability of the LTO and the LTFRB to discipline operators. And so now I'm encouraging, if not pressuring them, to cancel franchises of those who are going on strike," he added.

The city deployed 10 Kaohsiung buses, five KMK buses, nine multicabs and four barangay minibuses by 1:30 p.m. Monday to help address the lack of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) in many routes.

Zapatera barangay captain Jomar Benedicto said all the barangays were told to prepare their mini-buses to provide free rides to stranded passengers.

Citom executive officer Arnel Tancinco said public transportation in Barangays Bulacao, Basak Pardo, Inayawan, Labangon and Tisa was paralyzed by the transport strike.

PUJs plying routes serving Talamban, Banilad, Mabolo, Lahug and Apas also eventually stopped fetching passengers as the day wore on.

On Monday, LTFRB-Central Visayas Director Romulo Bernardes said they have a "complete list" of PUJs whose drivers and operators participated in the protest action.

He said they will summon them and determine if disciplinary action could be taken.

"We will impose disciplinary action, and, if evidence warrants, we will suspend, if not, cancel their franchise," he said.

City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, City Disaster Coordinating Council action officer, said the city will cancel the travel lines of PUJs whose drivers joined the strike.

The city immediately set up an action center in response to the absence of PUJs and deployed buses and multicabs that offer free rides to stranded passengers.

Eduardo Geolin, Nadsu council member, said the protest action was the opening salvo of a series of activities designed to pressure the government to reconsider the implementation of Department Order 2008-39.

Nadsu drivers, numbering over 1,000, flocked to the LTO office on N. Bacalso Ave. Monday morning, constricting traffic so that only a lane was available to north-bound vehicles.

They demanded an audience with Aguilos and it was granted.

Around 30 of Nadsu's route leaders allowed entry into the LTO compound for the dialogue with the LTO director.

Nadsu chairman Roy Opura asked Aguilos if he could implement a moratorium on the implementation of the order while their position paper is being heard in Manila.

Opura said the new set of fines are exorbitant, drivers who are caught and made to pay them are being choked to death instead of being supported by the government during the global economic crisis.

Aguilos said the order came from his superiors. He could be charged with dereliction of duty if he will not implement it, he said.

He made a concession, however, saying the number of offenses will be counted starting from March 2, when the order was implemented, so those caught starting that day will just be fined for first offense.

He said their computers are currently programmed in such a way that past offenses are counted so that similar violations made after March 2 are immediately assessed as a third offense, of which the drivers are asked to pay around P6,000 as maximum fine.

Aguilos, though, told the drivers that they are duty-bound to protect public welfare and asked them to return to their work.

For Osmeña, "fees should be exorbitant so there is no violation."

"What they want is they have a violation they can afford...so they continue to violate," the mayor said.

Nadsu secretary general Ruben Rama said they only intended their protest action Monday as a rally from the Fuente Osmeña to the LTO, adding that they did not expect drivers, including members of other transport groups, will show their support by not plying their respective routes.

Bernales will summon Tuesday drivers and operators his office listed as being part of the rally and transport strike.

The LTFRB has identified at least 13 units, many of which travel the Mandaue City-Cebu City route, that were used during the rally. (RHM of Sun.Star Cebu)