PISTON announced today that it will hold another wave of strike from September 23 to 24 in opposition to the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP).
The strike, which will also involve the transport group Manibela, aims to address several key demands:
- Abolishment of the PTMP
- Cancellation of forced franchise consolidation
- Renewal of franchises and registrations for all public utility vehicle (PUV) operators, including those who choose not to consolidate
- Allocation of zero budget for PUV phaseout programs, with funding redirected towards the rehabilitation of traditional jeepneys and subsidies for local industries
- Permission for those who have entered franchise consolidation to withdraw
PISTON National President, Mody Floranda stated: “The failures of the PTMP have been exposed multiple times in Congress, and the Senate has already supported our position to scrap the PTMP. Yet, Marcos Jr. and his cohorts at the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) remain obstinate.”
PISTON is also calling on other local government units to follow Bacolod City Council’s resolution to suspend the PTMP, aiming to exert additional pressure on the national government.
Floranda added, “The Marcos Jr. regime, in collusion with the DOTr and LTFRB, is determined to enrich itself and seize profits from public services. In doing so, they are brazenly robbing ordinary citizens—drivers, operators, and commuters—of their hope and future.”