Several transport groups in Bacolod City are planning to hold a strike from February 17 to 21 in protest against the city government’s announcement that unconsolidated jeepneys will be apprehended starting this month.

Rudy Catedral, president of the Bacolod Alliance of Commuters Operators and Drivers Inc., said more than 700 units of traditional jeepneys under the Negros United Transport Coalition are expected to take part in the transport strike.

Catedral said the city government’s committee on transportation has already announced that operators and drivers who did not consolidate traditional public utility vehicles (PUVs) will be arrested.

He also said that the conduct of the strike is a demonstration of the strength of traditional jeepney operators, contrary to the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office’s statement that there are only a few unconsolidated jeepneys in the city.

Catedral also clarified that they are not ruling out the possibility of dialogue with the city government to resolve the transport issue.

Earlier this week, the Bacolod City government pledged to cooperate with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in apprehending drivers of unconsolidated PUVs.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he had already asked LTO to provide the final policy on apprehending unconsolidated jeepneys.

Benitez said if the final policy does not grant another extension to operators who failed to consolidate their PUVs, including those who don’t have provisional authority, then the city government will cooperate with the operation.

“It’s their mandate to implement the law, and we will support them,” he added./WDJ