It’s been four days since the transport strike and already some of the more militant transport groups warned that they will stage more transport holidays/strikes in the future until the government gives in to their demand to recall their planned phaseout of old passenger jeepneys.
More likely these transport strikes will be “lightning strikes” (pun intended) or unannounced transport holidays in which the commuters will be warned only a day or hours in advance or even not at all, in order to catch the government and local governments off guard, resulting in a more pronounced paralysis of public transport.
The past few transport strikes have been announced days in advance which in a way is a form of courtesy extended by transport groups to the public to prepare themselves for it.
Doing these lightning transport strikes can produce at least two outcomes: one it would further antagonize the public against them or two, it would persuade a weary public to join them in demanding government not to pursue the phaseout of old jeepneys.
We hope we don’t see that second scenario happening because it would mean being held hostage and allowing these transport groups to bend to their will at the expense of the commuters’ welfare and convenience.
Anyway, at least in Cebu City, the glory days of the passenger jeepneys being the “kings of the road” will soon come to an end with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system being fully implemented in the coming years.
Even before that comes, there are plans to divert the passenger jeepneys into ancillary routes or complementary routes that will bring them straight to BRT terminals.
The BRT buses will take over the routes being traveled by the jeepneys which will not be allowed to pass through national roads/highways, similar to tricycles.
In fact, the passenger jeepneys will go the way of the tricycles which are banned from traveling through national roads, a reality the jeepney operators are strongly against since it would cut through their income.
Which is why they are supporting the Light Railway Transit (LRT) project instead of the BRT since it would ensure that they would get to keep their routes to themselves despite the discomfort and inconvenience they continue to inflict on commuters and the aggravation they cause during traffic congestion when they can unload and load passengers whenever and wherever they feel like it.
Whether they upgrade their jeepneys or not or buy new road-worthy units, the fact is that at least in Cebu, the commuters will soon be given better alternative transport options.
However frequent their transport strikes are, the transport groups have no right to dictate or demand from the riding public that they continue patronizing aging, decrepit jeepneys when there are better vehicles for them that they can ride in comfort and convenience.