'Ano na?': Commuter group urges DOTr update on EDSA Busway promises

MANILA, Philippines — A transport advocacy network urged the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board to update the public on its earlier promises to alleviate commuter woes with their action plan along the EDSA Busway Carousel.

In a statement sent to reporters, commuter network The Passenger Forum pointed out that mid-July, the transport department announced their plans to solve the EDSA Busway situation. 

To recall, among the action points the DOTr touched on include the following:

• Deployment of 440 buses instead of the usual 200 units in the busway
• Addressing the huge backlog in payment to operators and streamline the payment process
• Opening a terminal at the North end of the busway in Monumento similar to the PITX in the South

“Three weeks have already passed since the DOTR and the LTFRB revealed their action plan for the EDSA Busway. We want to know if there is any progress as the situation of EDSA Carousel passengers has hardly improved,” TPF Convener Primo Morillo said. 

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista is inheriting a transport situation that commuters and transport workers say is in crisis, with insufficient transport capacity only worsened by skyrocketing gas prices. Already, photos of long lines of commuters snaking around whole streets are becoming commonplace on social media once again. 

DOTR and LTFRB officials came up with the action plan after they accepted the “rush hour challenge” of commuter groups and, according to The Passenger Forum, were “able to see the situation of commuters along EDSA.”

“We told them before that TPF welcomes their acceptance of our rush hour challenge and we even praised their action plan afterwards. We believe in the action plan but since we are not seeing any relevant change, we hope they will divulge the progress or if there are any hurdles in the implementation part,” Morillo said.

“We reminded them before that we will be watching. We will not allow them to just utter empty promises without being held into account,” he added.

Fixed salaries, working hours for bus drivers pushed

While the DOTr continues to look into better “compliance” from bus drivers to solve the transport crisis, advocates say this is only one part of the problem as many bus drivers say they are operating at a loss under harsh labor conditions. 

Earlier, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada filed a bill seeking social welfare services benefits and other livelihood assistance for public utility vehicle drivers.

In filing Senate Bill No. 289 or the proposed Comprehensive Assistance Program for Public Utility Vehicles Drivers Act, the lawmaker sought to legislate the regulation of the compensation of public utility bus drivers and conductors by requiring the operators to grant fixed salaries as well as fixed working hours.

"A simple computation will show that drivers currently earning P900 a day and working more than 12 hours a day for three days a week will receive almost the same income based on the minimum wage for those working eight hours a day for six days. The difference is that under this proposed legislation, drivers will get enough rest while operators will spend almost the same amount for salaries," the senator said in filing Senate Bill No. 48 or the proposed Bus Drivers and Conductors Compensation Act.

"With the assurance of fixed salaries on a regular basis, PUB drivers and conductors will no longer be pressured or be forced to work beyond humane working hours. Serious accidents and traffic problems involving those buses will also be significantly lessened," Estrada added.

Under the bill, bus drivers shall not be made by their operators to drive more than eight hours straight. The bill also requires bus companies put in place a two-shift system and at least one-hour rest per working day.

Should the measure pass, the monthly salary of public utility bus drivers and conductors shall not be less than the minimum wage fixed by law and shall be paid in cash at least once every two weeks. 

To raise the standard of living of drivers and their families, Estrada proposed to have PUV drivers be covered in the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG and Employees Compensation Commission. 

Livelihood and credit assistance will also be available to help augment their family income.

The bill also mandates that the PUV operators are required to pay the equivalent amount of the monthly contribution paid for by the PUV drivers in the said social welfare services.

"The transport sector, particularly the PUVs, continues to be one of the most neglected sectors in the country. Most of them earn on a commission basis while others are on a 'boundary' scheme which only aggravates their poor working conditions," Estrada said. — Franco Luna