Labor group seeks 1-year extension of PUV consolidation

The labor group Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) is seeking a yearlong extension on the consolidation deadline for public utility vehicles (PUVS).

-  MAYEN JAYMALIN

Instead of extending the deadline for just one month, the group said this should be lengthened to a year to make both the government and operators better prepared.

It added that the month-long delay in the implementation of the consolidation deadline only exposes the fact that the government is not ready for the consequences of the jeepney modernization plan.

"The government is not willing to admit the reality but it is aware that the public transport system will fail if the hard deadline for consolidation was enforced last Jan. 1. In fact, not only do jeepney operators and drivers stand to lose their means of livelihood but commuters stand to lose their means of transportation," PM chair Renato Magtubo said.