SEVERAL members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide-Cebu (Piston-Cebu) and Bayan Muna Central Visayas staged a protest against the administration’s jeepney modernization program yesterday morning.
John Ruiz of Bayan Muna said that the jeepney modernization program will not help poor drivers who could not afford P7 million to P10 million in order to get a franchise.
“The modernization program is only for big corporations who can afford those millions in just three years, the capitalists who have the cash. This can lead to a hike in jeepney fares,” he said.
Burden
Ruiz said that the move to phase out old jeepneys is a huge burden to marginalized drivers and operators.
“The President shouldn’t take away our source of income. This is our right and that is clear in our law to assert what is for us,” he said.
Ronilo Gahator, chapter leader of Piston, said they are joining other Piston members in the country in opposing the modernization program.
“We are not against progress but only if it also caters to the general public and not only to a chosen few. Ordinary drivers couldn’t afford that,” he said.
Gahator said that phasing out old jeepneys can affect the families of jeepney drivers, who would lose their means of livelihood.
He asked the government agencies to heed their call.
He said that ordinary drivers don’t have P1.6 million to buy the new type of jeepney units.
The Cebu City Police Office said that the protest organized by Piston in the city was peaceful.
They recorded no untoward incident. (JOB)