Strike strands commuters but DOTC firm on fines

MANILA, Philippines - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) claimed that the transport strike yesterday failed to paralyze public transportation in most parts of the country.

Operators and drivers of commuter vehicles staged the protest against the newly imposed higher fines on traffic violations and colorum vehicles.

LTFRB chair Winston Ginez said the government would push through with the imposition of higher fines despite the so-called “transport caravan” staged by transport groups.

According to Ginez, there were reports of stranded passengers in some parts of Metro Manila and other urban areas in the country, including Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

But Ginez said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) provided vehicles to ferry the stranded commuters.

“There was no widespread impact in terms of the availability of public transport,” he said.

The government through the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Land Transportation Office (LTO) and LTFRB issued Joint Administrative Order (JAO) No. 2014-01 setting higher fines and penalties for various violations of land transportation rules and regulations, including a P1-million fine for colorum buses.

The stiffer fines would address the illegal operation or unauthorized public utility vehicles (PUVs).

Under the JAO, colorum bus operators will be fined P1 million; truck and van operators, P200,000; sedan operators, P120,000; jeepney owners, P50,000; and motorcycle operators, P6,000.

The JAO also covers other PUV-related violations such as refusal to convey passengers to their destination; overcharging; employing reckless, insolent, discourteous or arrogant drivers; operating PUVs with defective parts; using tampered taxi meters and trip cutting.

Each violation has corresponding fines and penalties as specified in the order.

Under the JAO, the entire fleet of the apprehended colorum vehicle will be impounded.

The LTFRB is creating a nationwide task force composed of LTFRB and LTO enforcers who are the only ones authorized to apprehend violators.

It, however, has not deputized any local government unit traffic personnel or MMDA enforcer to apprehend violators.

According to Ginez, they were already in the process of gathering reports on the ground on those who participated in the strike.

“We are currently gathering evidence and once we have them, the board will deliberate on what action to take,” he said.

Ginez said possible sanctions would be imposed on operators and drivers for abandonment of the PUV’s routes.

He cited the case of those who participated in the bus strike in 2010 that paralyzed transportation in Metro Manila.

Several bus companies either lost their franchises or had their fleets suspended for joining the strike.

“We will subject the franchise owners of public utility vehicles to a hearing and, if evidence warrants, we will cancel their franchise,” he said.

In a statement, the DOTC criticized the transport groups for resorting to the strike to protest the imposition of higher fines.

Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya cited that a petition seeking to stop the implementation of JAO 2014-01 had been filed at the Supreme Court by the same transport groups, but the high court refrained from issuing a temporary restraining order earlier this week, prompting the groups to go on strike.

Abaya said transport groups have nothing to fear if their drivers are following traffic rules.

“We issued the revised fines and penalties to better ensure road discipline and safety for the public. If these groups are not violating traffic rules and safety measures, then what are they protesting about? It is time for them to follow rules like everyone else, and to practice discipline and orderliness on the road,” Abaya said.

“Commuters put their safety in the hands of transport operators everyday. It is government’s obligation to make sure that public utility vehicle operators are responsible in delivering their services. That is why we issued the Joint Administrative Order,” he said.

He pointed out that the decision of the government to impose stiffer penalties on traffic violations would ensure road discipline as well as the safety of the riding public.

The failure to get a TRO prompted protesters to resort to the caravan, leaving thousands of commuters stranded.

“We call on these transport groups to be responsible in serving the public. Apart from obeying traffic rules, they should not abandon their obligation to commuters, many of whom had difficulty in getting rides today. If they continue to violate the conditions of their franchises, then what is the point of having them?” the DOTC chief said.

Malacañang fully supports the LTFRB in imposing hefty fines against colorum vehicles.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said colorum vehicles are illegal and the government had to enforce the law to assure the safety and welfare of the people.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino said his agency would assist the LTFRB in enforcing the new policy.

Tolentino said at least 401 colorum PUVs, mostly buses and Asian utility vehicles, remain at the MMDA’s impounding area in Marikina City for this year alone.

Stranded commuters

More than 1,000 commuters, mostly in Quezon City, were stranded during the transport strike, the MMDA said.

MMDA operations chief Emerson Carlos said most of those stranded were commuters along Commonwealth Avenue and in Balintawak.

Carlos said the MMDA dispatched 17 trucks and other vehicles to ferry stranded passengers for free between 6:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The MMDA said the protest caravan of the protesting groups, composed of about 100 vehicles, also blocked one lane of East Avenue leading to the LTO and LTFRB buildings and one lane of Ortigas Avenue leading to the DOTC office.

To help manage the flow of traffic affected by the transport caravan, Carlos said the MMDA deployed some 500 traffic enforcers.

“We are ready to provide additional vehicles for free rides to serve the commuters,” Tolentino said.

In addition to MMDA vehicles, several trucks from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will also be used to ferry stranded passengers.

The Stop and Go Coalition, an umbrella organization of several transport operators, said it has 14,000 members who are expected to participate in what they called “voluntary” transport protests.

The transport caravan assembled at the Quezon City Memorial Circle before proceeding to the offices of the LTFRB along East Avenue and the DOTC in Pasig City.

Tolentino said MMDA’s role is to monitor the transport caravan and the routes it is expected to take to ensure that no commuters are stranded and traffic flow will remain unhampered.

Hundreds of commuters were stranded yesterday morning at the Bonifacio Monumento area as drivers of commuter vehicles plying the Manila route staged a transport strike.

Most of those affected were students and employees on their way to school or work.

Commuters at the Light Railway Transit Monumento terminal increased after passenger jeepneys stopped plying routes.

In the provinces, too

Members of Piston Baguio chapter said the new fines for traffic violations would only encourage erring traffic enforcers to prey on commuter vehicle drivers and foster more corruption in the streets.

Piston Baguio chapter held a protest action along Session Road.

Warlito Wayas, chairman of Piston Baguio, said the new fines and penalties are unreasonable and unconstitutional.

Local officials of Roxas City ordered yesterday the suspension of classes in all levels following the one-day transport strike staged by drivers in Capiz.

Roxas City Mayor Alan Celino said members of Piston and Hugpong Transport pushed through with the strike to protest the higher fines for traffic violations.

In Iloilo, members of Piston Panay held a protest action in front of the offices of the LTO and LTFRB.

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas backed the decision of the DOTC to impose hefty fines against colorum operations and traffic violations, saying, “This is the only way the government could impose discipline on wayward drivers of public utility vehicles and erring transport operators.”

Treñas said the move of the DOTC was “long overdue and it is time to crack the whip on undisciplined motorists to bring back order on the streets.”

The lawmaker agreed with the observation that much of Metro Manila traffic woes are caused by undisciplined drivers and the rising number of colorum vehicles, especially buses on EDSA and other major thoroughfares. – With Delon Porcalla, Paolo Romero, Mike Frialde, Rey Galupo, Lawrence Agcaoili, Alexis Romero, Artemio Dumlao, Jennifer Rendon, Mitchelle Palaubsanon, Jean Marvette Demecillo, Nina Sumacot-Abenoja, Bryner Diaz/Freeman