Jeepney drivers strike cause suspension of classes in NCR

Malacañang has suspended classes for elementary and high school levels in the National Capital Region (NCR) due to the scheduled nationwide transport strike on Monday.

Several local government units, universities and colleges also announced suspension of classes in different levels due to the transport strike.

The Monday mass protest was a defiant move against the proposed phaseout of jeepneys and small jeepney franchises which is said to affect 650,000 drivers and 250,000 operators.

Jeepneys 15 years and older need to be replaced by its operators to get a new Certificate of Public Convenience.

Under the proposed modernization scheme, operators will be required to buy new units which comply with the guidelines on low-carbon, low-emission technology. That would mean electric jeepneys and Euro 4-compliant engines, which would cost millions of pesos.

Adding to than the modernization scheme is the proposed route rationalization and traffic congestion relief which is seen to make a major impact and changes on existing routes and franchises.

Other than the prohibitive cost of acquiring a jeepney, a single jeepney operator is phased-out too since franchise will be granted to operators with a minimum of 20 units. That number will be raised to 40 by 2019.

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