The country’s largest transport organization is giving new transportation secretary Vince Dizon 10 days to come up with its decision on the controversial Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).
The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) said Dizon himself promised to review the program at their dialogue in Mandaluyong City last Saturday.
PISTON chairperson Mody Floranda said Dizon also promised to study the suspension or relief from the PUVMP after Piston members held another protest rally at the Department of Transportation (DoTr) headquarters.
“I understand the situation. Even commuters are affected. I won’t allow this to drag on further,” Floranda quoted Dizon to have told the jeepney drivers.
“On the issue of the renewal of registration (of traditional jeepneys), give me a wekk or a week and a half. We will decide,” Dizon reportedly added.
Floranda said they are giving Dizon a 10-day ultimatum to issue concrete decisions on the return of five-year individual franchises and the renewal of registrations of traditional jeepneys.
“We negotiated in good faith. If we do not hear from Secretary Dizon and the DoTr in 10 days, our next dialogue shall be on the streets,” Floranda, a Makabayan bet for the Senate in the coming national elections, said.
PISTON had been opposing the forced surrender of individual jeepney franchises of drivers and small operators to big businesses the group said are disguised as transport cooperatives.
More than 38,000 individual jeepney franchises are being revoked under the controversial PUVMP, affecting the livelihood of up to 100,000 transportation workers around the country. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
