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Friday, January 16, 2004
Strike lifted after 14 hrs.
By Elias O. Baquero & Gingging A. Campaña Sun.Star Staff Reporters
With Minerva B. Gerodias
FOURTEEN hours after it began, the strike that hampered transportation in southern Cebu was lifted at 5:30 p.m. yesterday upon the request of Cebu City Councilor Nestor Archival.
Archival, chairman of the City Council committee on transportation, will convene his committee on Jan. 20 to discuss complaints of the drivers, operators and passengers affected by the rerouting.
Results of the committee meeting will be discussed during the executive session on Jan. 21 with Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and drivers can also air their gripes in a public hearing on Jan. 28.
Workers and students from Carcar, San Fernando, Naga and Minglanilla rode passenger vans or buses from Moalboal, Barili and Dumanjug towns to reach Cebu City yesterday.
Jaime Moncada, chairman of the Alyansa sa Nagkahiusang Drivers Alang sa Reporma (Andar), said “100 percent” of their members plying the routes from Cebu City to Tabunok, Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga, San Fernando and Carcar joined the strike.
However, Supt. Florante Lamosao said nobody was stranded in Tabunok and other parts of Talisay City because multicabs and tricycles kept operating.
Except for an incident when a multicab’s windshield was shattered by a rock, Lamosao said the strike was peaceful. The suspect escaped.
Extra security
At least 40 policemen were sent to One Citilink Terminal, in case escorts were needed for vehicles that were used to ferry commuters.
As of 4 p.m., Citilink, which is still under construction, was filled with passengers waiting for a ride home.
Sun.Star learned that although some vans and mini-buses delivered the passengers to the city yesterday, most drivers decided not to return, to support the strike.
Abdon Cabahug, operations manager of Citilink, said most of their vans did not join the strike but some opted to stay at home for fear of harassment.
Arcadio Aberos, executive director of City Hall’s transport services, was also there to supervise multicabs that picked up stranded passengers and brought them to Citilink.
Despite the strike, Councilor Archival told organizers that Citilink will continue to operate because it has been accredited by City Hall.
However, he promised to raise during the Jan. 21 executive session the suggestion to restore terminals on Colon, Borromeo and Leon Kilat Sts. that were phased out under City Ordinance 1958.
Those who attended the dialogue called by Archival were Moncada, Simeon Velez of Southern Cebu Operators and Drivers Association Inc., Anthony Pogado of Nagkahiusang Drivers sa Sugbo and Steve Cañas of Visayas United Drivers Transport Service Cooperative.
Drivers’ reward
Drivers who did not join the strike will get incentives, such as an assurance that their travel lines will not be affected, said Councilor Gerardo Carillo.
They will also get courtesy cards as promised by Mayor Tomas Osmeña, but only after the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) submits its report.
A team from Citom was tasked to monitor southbound passenger vehicles that did not join the protest.
Osmeña had prepared about 10,000 copies of the cards “especially for occasions such as these.”
Each card frees a driver from the penalty for one traffic violation.
The more trips the drivers made, the more courtesy cards they will get from the City.
However, Citom Executive Director Dennis Jabonero said the violations covered by the courtesy card are only those listed under local traffic ordinances.
The card does not exempt drivers if they violate a national traffic law.
Some drivers, joining the protest, scoffed at the scheme.
“Unsaon man na namo ang courtesy card? Wa man na’y kapuslanan kay mao raman gihapon, dili man jud mi kasulod sa Colon, sa central business district. Kutob ra man mi dri sa highway,” a van driver from San Fernando said.
(What are we going to do with the courtesy card? It’s useless because we are still not allowed to enter the central business district).
Volunteer aid
Like in previous protests by transport groups, businesswoman Conchita Tan again figured in City Hall’s contingency plans.
Tan volunteered yesterday to help the City through her group, the Cebu City PUJ Operators-Drivers Association (CCPODA), which fielded about 20 minibuses and vans to serve passengers affected by the strike.
CCPODA has about 400 members all over the City. Over 100 of them are plying southern routes.
About 20 Kaohsiung buses were ready in case more passengers could not get a ride, but City Hall relied initially on the vehicles deployed by CCPODA.
(January 16, 2004 issue)
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