In a significant victory for public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators, PISTON successfully compelled the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Region 6 and the Bacolod City Local Government Unit (LGU) to suspend the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) within the city.
The decision came after PISTON affiliates in Bacolod City, along with the Panay-Negros United Transport Coalition, organized a series of protests during the first week of September.
Mody Floranda, the National President of PISTON, expressed admiration for their colleagues in Bacolod and the broader Region 6: “We congratulate our colleagues in Bacolod and the entire Region 6 for their victory. The brave and relentless collective action of drivers and operators is our only weapon against the greedy corporations who seek to takeover our livelihoods.”
However, PISTON emphasized that this victory should not be limited to a single city. The group remains steadfast in its commitment to advocate for the complete scrapping of the corporate-driven, foreign-oriented PTMP.
Floranda asserted, “The implementation of corporate-driven and foreign-oriented PTMP should not end in just one city. And we won’t be satisfied with mere temporary suspensions. The PTMP should be completely scrapped nationwide. It’s time for the government to start implementing progressive, nationalist, and people-centered public transportation programs where the interests of the citizens take precedence.”
Meanwhile, a recent study by the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) that takes a closer look at the experiences of consolidated operators in Bacolod City has also recommended the urgent suspension of the program to avoid further damage to public transport workers.
The findings of the study underscore the “the imperative for PTMP implementers to confront and rectify [the] various forms of injustice. The program must be suspended indefinitely so that it may be reviewed.” (more can be found here: )
The suspension of the PTMP in Bacolod City represents a significant step in the ongoing struggle to protect the livelihoods of PUV drivers and operators. PISTON remains resolute in pursuing a more people-centered approach to public transportation.