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Willie Cubillas, president of the Butuan City Transport Federation (BCTF), told reporters that public jeepneys plying routes between Butuan City and the towns of the two Agusan provinces would not be driving starting early morning on April 21. He said tricycles, the city's main mode of transportation, would also be off the streets.
The BCTF, a federation of five transport groups, called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government to scrap the oil deregulation law and the 12-percent expanded value-added tax on oil products.
Cubillas said their group would also ask the LTFRB to increase the P6.50 minimum fare for jeepneys for the first four kilometers and P2 additional fare for each succeeding kilometer.
Ludyvino Languis, president of the Movement of Transport Organization for Reform (MOTOR), said they would also ask the LTFRB to stop the registration of more public utility vehicles in the Caraga region.
Cubillas said the income of drivers and operators have significantly dropped because of so many public utility vehicles but only few commuters.
He said other transport groups in the two Agusan provinces promised to join the transport strike.
The transport group also demanded wage increase for workers and protested the continuous rise in the prices of oil, which they claim only added to their difficulties in life. (Alden Pantaleon /MindaNews)
