The Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators, and Drivers (BACOD) along with the Negros Bacolod Transport Coalition (NBTC) and United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC) are set to hold a transport strike on Monday, May 8, despite some other transport organizations not joining them.
The Sentrong Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operators Negros (SSTONE) and the Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association (FEBACDA) are among the groups that are not participating in the planned strike.
But even without their support, BACOD President Rudy Catedtral said he is confident that the strike will still be successful.
In a press coference held on May 3, the groups said they will hold a rally in front of the Bacolod City Government Center to call for the abolition of City Ordinance 966, which adopted the Local Public Transport Route Plan.
The various groups believe that it is the ordinance that hinders them to renew their provisional authority from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, which is needed for traditional jeepneys to continue operating.
Former Bayan Muna Representative Atty. Carlos Zarate clarified that they are not opposing the jeepney modernization program supported by City Ordinance 966, but they are calling for a just transition and equitable implementation of the program for the betterment of the transport industry.
