Iloilo City, its traffic, officials and transport strikes (4)

(The author is a real person who fell in love with Iloilo. He wants to remain anonymous due to some “complications” but still, he raises very valid issues)

We all remember the last transport strike on September the 30th, which was about the phase-out program of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) older than 15 years. The next day the question of ‘Success or Failure’ or ‘Winners or Losers’ was raised. Of course, both the transport groups and the local authorities, claimed SUCCESS, but was there really a WINNER at all?

Have people forgotten the reason for the phase-out program of PUJs older than 15 years? It is all about a less polluted environment, people’s health and safety. Better health and safety results in more money available for other things in life, i.e. education, a better house, healthier food, a needed vacation etc. Maybe the environment was the WINNER that day, at least the air was less polluted.

It also needs to be mentioned that some major car manufacturers will stop producing diesel-driven cars in the near future.

My kids were of course very happy that “No Classes” were declared that day, just like we were in our school days. But so far, there have been already too many “No Class” days this year for various reasons. Therefore, I would consider the kids as the LOSERS, because they just missed another day of their educational process and maybe need to attend an additional week in the classroom to make up for all the “No Class” days.

Many people who are paid on a daily basis could not get to work on that day and thus had NO income. I believe they also belong to the group of LOSERS.

I asked some employees of BDO how they would get to work and I got a really good answer, “We find ways.”

As to the initiator of the transport strike Bayan Panay, Mr. Elmer Forro, he encouraged operators and drivers to participate in the strike as they had nothing to fear, because the previous pronouncements of LTFRB-6 to revoke franchises of strike participants were just mere intimidation and harassment.

Anyway, his followers belong also to the group of LOSERS, because they lost their daily income and the phase-out will still happen. The argument that operators or drivers couldn’t afford the new type of PUJs is disputable. Last year, the price of the new PUJs amounted to around PhP1.5 to PhP1.8M. This year, the unions declared the price to be around PhP2.5M. Are they possibly misleading their members with wrong figures?

As to the argument drivers couldn’t afford the new type of PUJs, here is a little story. Recently I met a PUJ driver at TMTRO, picking up his driver’s license after being fined PhP 200 for picking up a passenger in a non-designated area. Well, the passenger would have paid him maybe PhP10-20, but he lost PhP200 due to the fine (legal basis Reg. Ord. No. 2015-045/159), I would call that financial mismanagement. Wouldn’t it be better if the transport unions give their members a hand in better financial management?

As I see it on a daily basis, more and more PUJ and other drivers get fined because the City Hall has employed more traffic aides.

The LTFRB-6 director had warned earlier that they had a legal basis to revoke PUJ franchises of operators & drivers participating in the transport strike. So far I have not read/ heard anything that this has happened. The LTFRB-6 director got ridiculed by Bayan Panay for “mere intimidation and harassment” and no action. Isn’t it about time that the officials show who is in charge in Iloilo City or is it the same story like last year, when our officials stated that they would help get the tricycles & pedicabs off the national roads just blah, blah, blah?

My feeling is there are more tricycles and pedicabs on the road than ever and causing traffic chaos. Opposite the new Ceres terminal a barangay official even allowed the tricycles to be parked in the private subdivision against the will of the residents.

Last year the editor of this newspaper showed photos of violators and asked if the officials had the balls to implement the existing traffic rules. Just judge for yourself when you travel on our national roads #5, 509, 515, 516 etc.

Around 15-20 years ago we could read everywhere “Observe traffic rules and road courtesy” with the name of the present mayor. What did we get? Worsening, chaotic situations all over Iloilo City. Isn’t it about time for a change?