Two-day transport strike kicks off in Philippines

Manila, Sep 23 Jeepney drivers in the Philippines started a two-day nationwide transport strike on Monday to protest against the government's plan to remove decades-old jeepneys off the streets.

Piston, one of the two transport groups that have organised the strike, posted photos on social media early Monday, showing "stranded" passengers in the Philippine capital.

Transportation Undersecretary Jesus Ferdinand Ortega refuted the group's claim, saying no stranded passengers existed. "We are maintaining and continuing our program of zero stranded passengers today," he told a press conference.

The government ordered schools nationwide to conduct online classes to avoid commuting and also deployed vehicles to help commuters, especially workers, Xinhua news agency reported.

Around 90,000 operators and drivers belonging to Manibela and Piston continue to reject the government's Public Transport Modernisation Program and urge it to be scrapped.

The protesters launched similar transport strikes in the past months.

"The call of Piston and Manibela to scrap the program is non-negotiable," Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said in a news conference. "These two groups cannot derail the program."

Jeepneys remain the main mode of transport for millions of Filipinos across the archipelago. Government data showed that around 160,000 transitional jeepneys are running across the country.

The government has moved ahead with its plan to update the decades-old jeepneys, stirring debates on the fate of the iconic vehicles that have been chugging along the roads since the 1950s.

Jeepneys have been blamed for increasing road accidents, partly because of their wild drivers' notoriously reckless operation on streets.

Source: IANS