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Thursday, January 15, 2004
City raps timing in today’s strike
By Elias O. Baquero & Gingging A. Campaña Sun.Star Staff Reporters
With Rene H. Martel
SIX transport groups with over 1,000 jeepneys and passenger vans are going on strike today, in protest of what they view as Cebu City Hall’s special treatment of One Citilink Terminal.
Commuters from Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando, Carcar and other southern towns stand to be affected, but City Hall plans to field its buses and activate a task force to help stranded commuters.
The drivers called off the strike scheduled last Monday, but decided to proceed after the City Government failed to act on their petition to suspend Citilink’s operations.
The strike was scheduled to start at 3 a.m. today.
Several drivers were at the session hall yesterday afternoon to listen to the council, but when lawmakers just “noted” their letter without acting on it, the drivers left.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who presided, said the City Government is prepared to deal with the strike, but bewailed the timing as it might spoil the Sinulog festivities.
Today’s strike is the first in Cebu since December 2002, when drivers from nine routes all over the metropolis protested Cebu City Hall’s refusal to write off P122 million in old traffic fines.
That strike lasted one day.
Free shuttle
Before the strike plan was confirmed yesterday, the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) board asked Citilink to provide free shuttle service to and from Gaisano South on Leon Kilat St., to spare passengers a long walk to the terminal on N. Bacalso Ave.
The Citom board called for the owners of the contested terminal during its regular meeting yesterday, following allegations that traffic enforcers were paid by Citilink to impose City Ordinance 1958.
But Albert Lim did not appear and sent operations manager Abdon Cabahug instead.
The free shuttle service was discussed following complaints from passengers that they have to walk or spend more for another ride to reach the central business district from Citilink.
Cabahug said they initially tried providing the free shuttle but jeepneys plying the Private-Urgello-Colon route lamented that they were affected by the scheme.
This is why these jeepneys were allowed to enter Citilink to load and unload passengers there.
Public hearing
The Citom board also told Citilink’s management to invite passenger vehicles from the southern part of Cebu Province to use the terminal as their last stop.
“We have nothing to do with that terminal. We only impose traffic rules. We just want to clarify that. So we told them that they should be the ones to invite the passengers to use the terminal,” Raul Araneta, private sector representative of Citom, told Sun.Star.
The Citom board did not pass any resolution regarding its stand on Citilink’s operations, but agreed that Citom will clarify the allegations with the City Council during an executive session on Jan. 21.
Rama, for his part, asked the drivers to wait for results of a public hearing on Jan. 28, when proposed amendments to City Ordinance 1958 will be heard.
Only Citilink, located beside the Cebu City Medical Center, qualified as an accredited terminal under this ordinance.
Other terminals, earlier accredited under City Ordinance 1773, were rendered illegal.
But Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the committee on energy, transportation and communication, said the proposed amendments will be tackled in the Jan. 28 public hearing, where drivers could “present their sides.”
Their demands
Six groups hope to paralyze public transportation to the south in today’s strike.
These are the Alyansa sa Nagkahiusang Drivers Alang sa Reporma, the Southern Cebu Operators and Drivers Association Inc. (Scodai), Cebu Integrated Transport Service Cooperative, Visayas United Drivers Transport Service Cooperative, Cebu Garage Association and Cebu Mini-Bus Association.
The Nagkahiusang Drivers sa Sugbo is not officially joining the strike, but won’t oppose members who wish to do so.
They are demanding that Citilink’s operations be suspended, pending a review by the City Council.
They also want City Ordinance 1958 reexamined and other terminals on Colon, Borromeo and Leon Kilat Sts. allowed to operate.
They want City Hall to obey a Department of Interior and Local Government memorandum that states no local government unit can implement rerouting without consultation with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.
Finally, they want the City to respect its agreement with the Cebu Confederation of Transport Operators and Drivers Inc. Under this agreement, both parties will create a committee to study the rerouting scheme before it can be implemented.
Task force
Vudtrasco Chairman Steve Cañas and Citrasco Chairman Benjie Yu said that although they are not using terminals, they are supporting the strike.
“Because we are in a democratic society, let the operators and drivers voluntarily enter Citilink Terminal. If the City Government will force them, that’s harassment already,” Yu said.
Fortunately for commuters, last week’s plan for a strike last Monday, Jan. 12, prepared the City Government, said Councilor Gerardo Carillo.
Carillo, action officer of the Cebu City Disaster Council, said a task force will be immediately activated.
It’s composed of bus operators, Citom, jeepney operators who are not joining, private contractors and the Philippine Army, who can provide vehicles for stranded commuters, aside from City Hall’s Kaohsiung buses.
(January 15, 2004 issue)
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