As this developed, Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the government should buy out all buses plying major thoroughfares in Metro Manila and take control of the transport industry to solve traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA).

While the bus operators claimed that there was no strike, the MMDA is not convinced, even saying their move was prejudicial to the riding public.

“Welga ang ginawa nila!” said Tolentino, reacting to the excuse of the some bus operators that no transport “holiday” occurred last Monday but only miscommunication among their drivers. Some operators even said that buses which failed to hit the streets were covered by the “coding” ban.

Tolentino said the agency is now gathering solid pieces of evidence to support their contention that strike indeed occurred, saying the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) would handle the possible sanctions against the erring operators that participated in the transport holiday.

“We would only recommend to the LTFRB. We are now readying pieces of evidence for the LTFRB to process and the filing of notices to bus operators who participated in Monday’s strike,” said Tolentino.

The MMDA is coordinating with LTFRB Chairman Nelson Laluces in identifying the bus operators that participated in the strike due to the reimplementation of the Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP).

He firmly believes that bus firms that participated in the strike should be sanctioned by the LTFRB for violation of their certificate of public conveyance.

Tolentino said that the agency is still on alert this Wednesday due to reports that the bus operators would hold another strike.

The MMDA’s Organized Bus Route records showed that bus terminals dispatched only 458 city public utility buses that ply along EDSA, from 6 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. last Monday.

The four bus terminals are located in Alabang, Coastal Mall, Malabon, and Fairview.

Thousands of commuters were stranded from 6 am to 9 am, mostly in Quezon City, particularly along Commonwealth Avenue and Fairview area; Roxas Boulevard, Quiapo, among other areas.

For three hours, passengers were inconvenienced before the MMDA, with the help of other government agencies and authorities “Libreng Sakay”program, reached them. Trucks and buses were deployed to ferry the stranded passengers.

Sen. Sotto suggected the government takeover of buses in the aftermath of a transport strike by more than 3,000 bus drivers plying the EDSA route last Monday that resulted in chaos in some parts of Quezon City.

Tito chides Claire
Sotto said it’s high time the government should look into this matter and implement a lasting solution to the industry’s problems, especially the traffic congestion caused by too many buses in Metro Manila.

Claire de la Fuente, who heads a bus operators’ association, claimed the new traffic scheme is unjust as it would drastically reduce the income of bus operators by about 20 percent.

Sotto chided De la Fuente, saying that the transport industry is not simply business but a public service, too. “She totally forgets that transport industry is not just business but also public service, Sotto told reporters.

Anna Liza Villas, Manila Bulletin