Traffic normal amid Piston rally

Piston Cebu coordinator Greg Perez leads members of Piston in a protest rally in front of the LTFRB-7 office.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA

Traffic flow was normal in both Mandaue City and Cebu City yesterday despite the protest caravan of members of the Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) Cebu.

According to Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) head Glenn Antigua, there were no passengers stranded or affected by the activity.

“It was like nothing happened. Last Friday, we were already informed that they have an activity and that it won’t affect traffic in the city. But we still prepared our vehicles that can be used in case there are stranded passengers,” he said.

He added that they had to prepare for the activity especially since yesterday was also the opening of classes in public schools.

Antigua said Piston started their caravan along A.C. Cortes Avenue going to M.C. Briones Street all the way to Cebu City where they passed through M.J. Cuenco Avenue to Pope John Paul II Avenue going to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) office in the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

The same was also observed by the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO).

CCTO operations chief Francisco Ouano said they spotted the caravan entering Cebu City at around 9 a.m. yesterday on their way to the LTFRB.
“It did not cause any problem on our traffic flow. It was just a caravan,” Ouano said.

Piston Cebu coordinator Greg Perez said only more than 60 members attended the 30-minute protest rally outside the LTFRB-7 office.

Like their previous rallies, yesterday’s activity was aimed to oppose the planned phaseout of 15-year-old public utility jeepneys.

“Ana si Delgra if dili kapasar sa Omnibus (Franchising) Guidelines mao ng chop-chopon nga unit og dili padaganon,” Perez told reporters yesterday.
(LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra said that those units that will fail under the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines will be scrapped.)

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade is set to sign the Omnibus Franchising Guidelines (OFG) on June 19 in line with the public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program in the country.

The OFG will lift the moratorium on the application for new franchises to be granted to PUV operators.

Ahmed Cuizon, regional director of LTFRB-7, said those 15-year-old units will be purchased by the government.

“Ang kwarta mahimong gamiton sa laing negosyo (The money can be used by jeepney operators in investing in other business),” Cuizon said.

The scrapping off of 15-year-old public utility vehicle is to ensure that the unit is safe for public transportation.

“We do not want to deceive the riding public. The lives of the passengers are at risk,” Cuizon added.

Other public vehicles like school buses that are 15 years old and older and taxi units that are 13 years old and older are also covered by the planned phaseout.