VARIOUS free rides will be offered on Monday, March 24, to counter any negative effects that might be felt during the planned jeepney strike, which will last for three days.
According to Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, he has mobilized additional buses and trains for the public.
Palace press officer Claire Castro also said that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is ready to provide free rides to affected areas.
The jeepney group Manibela is protesting the government’s allegedly inaccurate consolidation figures under the Public Transport Modernization Program.
A Franchise consolidation is a requirement under the program.
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said that the nationwide consolidation rate for public utility vehicles already reached 86 percent after the deadline for applications.
However, Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said that the LTFRB had misled both the public and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. into thinking that the consolidation program was effective and there was no need to suspend the modernization push.
Castro meanwhile urged Manibela to suspend the planned transport strike and instead discuss the issues so the new leadership at the transport department could understand their grievances.
The strike has prompted schools to suspend classes or shift to online sessions.
