Zamora urged: Allow multi-cab drivers in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines — A group of multi-cab drivers on Wednesday asked Mayor Francis Zamora to allow them to continue plying the streets of San Juan.

Jaime Gomez told The STAR that they lost their source of income when Zamora stopped the operation of orange multi-cabs plying the Wilson-P. Guevarra-Greenhills route in July 2019.

Gomez, 65, said his own and the families of 29 drivers of 10 multi-cabs operating under the Balikatan cooperative – created during the term of then mayor Guia Gomez – are starving.

“We are now jobless. And it is not easy for us to get a job in our country today,” he said in Filipino, adding that they consider themselves lucky to get odd jobs.

Gomez said they serve not only residents of San Juan but also workers who come from Mandaluyong and work in Greenhills. He added that the lack of transportation for the route encouraged the proliferation of “habal-habal” or motorcycles illegally used for public transport.

While the regular multi-cab fare is P9, habal-habal drivers charge passengers from P20 to P50 when their destination goes beyond the route, according to Gomez.

Predecessor to blame       

Zamora blamed Gomez’s administration for the multi-cab drivers’ plight.

He told The STAR that the cooperative was “illegally operating because it does not have a franchise duly approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).”

Zamora said he stopped the cooperative’s operation because he wanted to make it legal.

He said three multi-cabs from the city government are “temporarily” offering free rides to commuters on the Wilson-P. Guevarra-Greenhills route.

 Zamora said since the cooperative is not affiliated with the city government, he cannot accommodate the drivers’ request.

“It has to be the previous administration that must address (the drivers’) financial problems. Whoever is the recipient of the income gained by the orange multi-cab operation must be uncovered,” he said.

The mayor said the city government is open to any transport group that will apply for a permit to ply the route, provided that the group gets a franchise from the LTFRB.