Over 200 passengers in the City of Manila have so far been served by the Oplan Libreng Sakay amid the transport strike of jeepney operators and drivers’ group on Monday.
Lawyer Princess Abante, spokesperson of Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna Pangan, said 227 individuals have been serviced by the free ride provided by the local government unit (LGU) as of 12:30 p.m.
The LGU has 122 vehicles on standby from Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Manila Police District (MPD) and Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) to assist passengers who will be stranded due to the strike.
The vehicles can accommodate more than 1,000 passengers combined.
Based on the situational report, 53 passengers have been served in the Guadalupe-Amasista (vice versa) route while 69 passengers have been provided free rides from Quezon Boulevard-Cubao (vice versa) by vehicles from MDRRMO.
A total of 105 commuters were also given free rides from Quezon Boulevard to Cubao (vice versa) by MPD vehicles.
The Oplan Li
breng Sakay’s command center is located at the Kartilya. It is tasked to monitor the affected routes and provide assistance to stranded passengers as needed, particularly during rush hour traffic.
‘Mayor Honey Lacuna instructed that the Oplan Libreng Sakay should not deprive public transport vehicles that will not participate in the strike from earning their income,’ Abante said in a message to the media.
Transport group Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide on Monday started the three-day transport strike to protest the Dec. 31 deadline for public utility vehicle consolidation.
Source: Philippines News Agency