“THERE is no transport strike”
This was the clarification of Albert Villanueva, chairman of the Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Negros (SSTONE) yesterday, November 6 as he stressed that only jeepneys without franchises or with incomplete documents will not ply their routes today.
Villanueva made the clarification following the confirmation of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office head Major Junji Liba that they, along with the personnel from the Land Transportation Office and the Land Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 6 will conduct operation against jeepneys without permits or have incomplete documents today in various areas of the city.
“Our drivers won’t take the risk because once they are caught, the fine is too expensive,” Villanueva said, saying that they were informed that there will be massive apprehensions of jeepneys without franchises in several areas in Bacolod City.
Since these jeepneys have no franchises, he said they are deemed by the authorities as “colorum” or illegal.
“Right now, we have no one to ask because Mayor (Alfredo Abelardo) Benitez is not here,” the transport group leader lamented.
Villanueva noted that only a few of their members have no franchises or have incomplete documents.
While only a few will stop operating, he said that others may sympathize and stop plying their routes, too.
“We are wondering why they would force the operators of the traditional jeepneys to purchase the modern ones?” he asked.
He disclosed that they will seek a dialogue with Benitez tomorrow at the Bacolod Government Center regarding the issue.
For her part, Federation of Bacolod Drivers Association (Febacda) president Elizabeth Katalbas said she was surprised by the planned massive apprehension of the jeepneys with no franchises or incomplete documents.
“We had a dialogue before with the mayor and he promised that he will help resolve our woes and also assured us that there will be no apprehension of those without franchises and business permits,” Katalbas said.
She said that many of the jeepneys under their group were not issued permits
While some of the jeepneys under Stone and Febacda will stop operating because of the absence of their permits, operators with similar concerns from the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (Undoc) will continue to ply their routes today.
“We will not stop, because as promised by mayor, we can continue plying our routes while the issue (about the modernization) is still being resolved,” Undoc secretary general, Diego Malacad said in a statement.
Malacad said they will only stop operating if there will be harassments from LTO and LTFRB.