Brace yourselves. The two-day transport strike by the Stop & Go Coalition starts today, which means commuting in Manila is about to get more difficult.
The coalition, which includes as many as 131 transport groups including jeepneys, FX/AUV taxis (sport utility vehicles similar to buses), and tricycle organizations, announced the strike through a Facebook post on Sept. 15.
The post says that they are protesting against the government’s upcoming jeepney modernization project.
“If we don’t come together, they remove all of us from the road,” the post says. It also calls the program “anti-poor” because it would require jeepney drivers to buy new vehicles worth at least PHP1.4 million (US$27,650)
The modernization project led by the Department of Transportation plans to replace jeepneys older than 15 years old (many of those on the road are) with electric-powered jeepneys.
Old jeepneys often break down in the middle of the road, making them unsafe and a cause of heavy jams, critics say, while electric jeepneys would be more eco-friendly and help reduce the country’s carbon emissions.
The government said it will provide financing options for jeepney drivers and operators including a monthly payment scheme, but the Stop & Go Coalition and most drivers think that the modernization program will still cost too much.
“Not only will they get our jeep, they will also bury us in debt,” the coalition’s Facebook post says.
This is not the first time jeepney drivers protested the modernization plan. In February, a similar strike was held by another transportation group.
So while this is all being sorted out, it looks like Filipinos who regularly take jeeps and FXs will have to figure out other ways to get around.
