PISTON denounces the government-imposed nationwide crackdown on unconsolidated jeepneys starting today, May 16, as a deliberate massacre of transport workers’ livelihoods and an attack on the people’s right to accessible and affordable public transport.
Even two weeks after the April 30 deadline, the Marcos government has yet to lay out concrete plans for supporting and sustaining the livelihoods of PUV drivers and operators who fail and refuse to consolidate their franchises. This underscores the failure of the corporate-driven and foreign-oriented public transport modernization program—a program that has left many transport workers and commuters in dire straits.
The Marcos regime’s heavy-handed approach cannot be justified. By apprehending jeepney drivers and operators, it exacerbates the suffering faced by commuters—workers and students—grappling with growing unemployment. Essential public transport services should not be sacrificed while the government clings to delusions of economic growth.