Drive vs smoke belching cripples jeepney operations

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

A GOVERNMENT campaign to strengthen the implementation of the Clean Air Act here crippled public jeepney operations here and in some parts of Misamis Oriental yesterday.

Many jeepney drivers opted to keep off the roads for fear of apprehension. The result: many commuters waited longer for their ride or just opted to walk. (See related story on page 2)

It was like a “semi-public transport strike” especially in the eastern and southern parts of the city as the Land Transportation Office, Environmental Management Bureau, and City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office teamed up to carry out the government’s “Tanggal Bolok, Tanggal Osok” campaign.

Joel Gabatan, vice president of the National Confederation of Transport Unions in northern  Mindanao, said many public jeepney drivers decided not to work yesterday as authorities started apprehending relatively old vehicles for smoke belching.

Gabatan said many commuters in barangays Kauswagan, Bonbon and Bayabas opted to walk because there was not enough public jeepneys on the road.

Gabatan theorized that yesterday’s campaign was part of the plan of the Department of Transportation to phase out 15-year old public jeepneys and older, and to make public vehicle owners to invest on Euro 4 engines, electricity- or solar-powered vehicles.

Engr. Antonieto Paqueo, chief for law enforcement of the LTO regional office, said over 100 drivers of public and even private vehicles were apprehended in Cugman alone.

He said apprehensions were also reportedly made in Barangay Lumbia.

There were reports that a number of jeepney drivers from as far as Tagoloan town in Misamis Oriental opted not to work.

Erring drivers were given tickets for violation of Republic Act 8749,  otherwise known as the Clear Air Act.

Based on the law, violators are slapped with a fine of P2 thousand for the first offense, P3 thousand for the second offense, and P4 thousand for the third offense. The fines are supposed to be paid within three days.

“Within three days, maka-drive pa sila pero after three days unya dili niya bayran ang ilang multa, dili na sila maka-drive kay kon mo-drive pa gihapon sila unya among madakpan ug usab nga wala niya bayri ang ilang multa, mas dako na gayud  ang iyang obligayon sa bala-od,” Paqueo said.

In a statement, the Solidarity of Transport Alliance in Region 10 criticized the government’s “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” campaign as “the most recent form of attack on the poor” in the guise of modernization.

“Kining mga lakang nagpamatuod lamang sa pamahayag ni Pangulong Duterte nga ‘Mahirap kayo? P***ng ina, magtiis kayo sa hirap at gutom, wala akong pakialam’diin hinay-hinay kining mopatay sa 5 ka-milyong Pilipino sa tibuok nasud nga nakasandig ug nagasalig sa panginabuhian sa pampasaherong jeep,” reads part of the Starex-Piston statement.

The group noted that LTO-led teams have started apprehensions that affected jeepney plying the Bayabas, Gusa and Cugman routes.

Similar operations were being carried out in Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental and Valencia City in Bukidnon.

It called the campaign as “vicious legal tactic” to favor big business interests at the expense of small public vehicle operators.

Instead, Starex-Piston said, the government should scrap the Oil Industry Deregulation Law and the “Train” Law, and allow public vehicle operators to rehabilitate their vehicles.