Sunday, June 30, 2008 PUJ drivers started protest action at 1 a.m.; P7 minimum fare to start today
LAST-minute appeals fell on deaf ears yesterday after the Nagkahiusang Drayber sa Sugbo (Nadsu), supported by allied people’s organizations, said it is pushing through with its transport strike today.
The City Government has announced that it is ready to react and help stranded commuters, as it appealed for the group to forego the strike so as not to compound the pain of family members and relatives of passengers of the mv Princess of the Stars.
“Let us not add to their grief and state of mental anguish by an act which you can postpone for another day,” said Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, who heads the City Council committee on energy, transportation, communication and other utilities.
Jakosalem said the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board did its part of the bargain and approved the provisional increase of P0.50, raising to P7 the
minimum fare in Central Visayas.
But most importantly, he said, thousands of grieving family members and relatives at the City operations center need transportation.
While they stay at the center during the day, he said, they return to their homes in nearby cities and towns.
“Most go home and then come back to the city. And there might be more bodies arriving tomorrow (today), and the families needed transportation to view the bodies and possibly identify loved ones,” the councilor said.
But 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.
He said that while they sympathize with the families of the victims of the Princess of the Stars sinking, the government should have shown its concern by not allowing fuel prices to increase again.
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.
He promised that they will hold a peaceful protest action starting at 1 a.m. today, and Nadsu has laid out rules, like avoidance of liquor and use of spikes to intimidate other drivers, for members to strictly follow.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo, the city action officer, said the City has prepared its Kaohsiung buses and multicabs to ferry stranded passengers.
Barangay vehicles will also be available for deployment to routes that will be heavily affected by the strike.
The City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will also allow PUJs to ply outside their travel lines, and coupons will be distributed to drivers who will not join the strike.
The coupons could be used by each driver to have their penalties recorded by the Citom condoned. (RHM)
