There is no doubt that the Philippines needs to modernize its transport system. There is also no doubt that we need to reduce if not eliminate pollution especially in the metropolis. But forcing small operators and more than 300,ooo jeepney drivers out on the streets and without income or buried in debt is totally unacceptable. The country already has enough unemployed, hungry and out-of-school young people who are sick or dying without seeing a doctor simply because they do not have money.

The Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), an NGO that empowers workers in the formal and informal sectors to claim their rights, supports the transport strike and asks the public for their understanding, patience and support for the transport strike.

The government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) modernization scheme, and its franchise consolidation, has set the deadline on April 30, 2024. The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide or PISTON and other transport groups have every reason to hold a transport strike on April 29-30 to protect their livelihood.

The jeepney drivers are not just complaining about the high cost of the so-called modernization, they are asking how are they going to support their families if traditional jeepneys will not be allowed to ply their routes. What about the commuters who like them are also from the working class?

The government has historically failed to create industries and decent jobs for Filipinos. It failed to curb the rising cost of living, high unemployment and underemployment, and the economic effects of the deadly combo of El Niño and climate change amidst the costly overseas travel of the President and his entourage. Jeepney drivers and operators are humans; their livelihood cannot simply be brushed aside under the pretext of protecting the environment.

The government’s wanton disregard for the country’s jeepney drivers and operators stands in stark contrast with its subservience to the dictates of car manufacturers. The truth is there are more cars on the streets causing traffic jams and pollution than jeepneys.

There is definitely a need to improve the transport system and production systems in general to contribute to the fight against climate change. There are, however, bigger and more important things to do. The country’s economy must end the reliance on fossil fuels. It must stop logging, quarrying, open-pit mining and other activities that destroy the environment. Defending the environment should leave no one behind.

We urge Marcos Jr to stop being a dictator like his father and Duterte; to engage in a dialogue with PISTON and other transport groups; and come up with a mutually-agreed plan and timetable for the modernization of PUVs which does not abandon the poor to indebtedness to banks or corporations. Jeepney drivers and operators are not the main causes of environmental or transportation problems in the country. Let the jeepney drivers and small operators ply their routes!###