DOTR
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Piston: DOTr’s P196-B budget a trojan horse for monopolies in public transport
Piston slammed the Department of Transportation’s proposed P196.2 billion 2026 budget, warning it will fast-track the corporatization of public transport and wipe out small operators. Despite billions left idle in 2024 and glaring failures—3.9 million undelivered licenses, hundreds of thousands of missing plates, and a “modernization” program that hit only 3% of its target—the DOTr
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Punitive cameras, broken system: How NCAP fails working class drivers
The No-Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) was introduced with the aim of enhancing road safety and curbing corruption in traffic enforcement. However, in practice, it has primarily served as a punitive mechanism, imposing excessive fines that disproportionately affect informal worker Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers. These drivers, who typically earn Php300–Php500 per day, find themselves burdened
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Piston on new DOTr order: Cosmetic ‘reopening’ of consolidation does not address livelihood threats
Piston denounces the newly issued DOTr Department Order No. 2025-009 (DO-2025-009), “Guidelines on the Reopening of Applications for Consolidation and Issuance of Provisional Authorities for Unconsolidated Individual Operators,” as yet another measure that places the burden squarely on the backs of small PUV drivers and operators. While DO-2025-009 purports to offer a “more equitable and
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Piston on DOTr’s mandatory drug testing for PUV drivers: Safe roads require stable jobs, living wages, and humane working hours for drivers
Piston strongly opposes the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) recent pronouncement mandating drug testing for all public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers. While ensuring road safety is crucial, this blanket policy is yet another punitive measure that unfairly targets drivers without addressing the real roots of transport problems. Mandatory drug testing, especially when implemented without proper safeguards
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Piston: Rider layoffs, fatal bus crash show public transport is in crisis
Piston warned of a deepening public transport crisis, citing the government’s planned removal of 14,000 MoveIt riders, a deadly bus crash along SCTEX, and the continued jeepney phaseout as signs of a system in collapse. “This is no longer about isolated incidents,” said Mody Floranda, PISTON national president and Makabayan senatorial candidate. “This is a