MEMBERS of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator’s Nationwide (Piston) Baguio - Benguet Chapter assured there will be no stoppage in the operation of public transport service on September 30 in the city and the region.

Carlito Wayas, Piston Baguio-Benguet chapter president, said there is a scheduled transport protest nationwide where other regions are set to conduct a strike but a peaceful rally will only be held in Baguio-Benguet.

“Piston Baguio-Benguet Movement Against Jeepney Phaseout (BBMAJP) will express their stand on the call to protest on September 30. We will be conducting a peaceful march rally from Sunshine Park towards the People’s Park in support of the nationwide rally,” Wayas said.

Major transport groups in the country are set to push through with the nationwide transport strike on September 30 to protest the proposed phase out of jeepneys and UV Express service vehicles next year, as part of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

“If the PUV modernization pushes through, close to 4,000 jeepneys and 6,000 jeepney operators and drivers will be affected. The reason why we do not conform to the fake modernization of government because this will take out the livelihood of small operators and drivers because their franchises would be taken away from us, aside from these public service vehicles which we earned for,” Wayas stated.

Piston National President Efren De Luna earlier stated the main issue are the lies on PUV modernization, as 100% of legitimate associations dreaming of continuing with their lives, and with the modernization would kill them.

“One more thing is that once the PUV modernization would push through, we could not afford it because it would amount to at least P1.6 million per vehicle but as of the latest, it now costs around P2.4 to P2.6 million which is very expensive for our part. We do not have the capacity to buy. And even if we have the money to buy one, we will be hard up on the requisites of acquiring one,” Wayas added.

The nationwide transport strike will be spearheaded by ACTO, Piston and Stop and Go coalition.