Piston will push through with its two-day transport strike starting Thursday, renewing its calls to cancel the December 31 deadline for the consolidation of franchises under the government's Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program.

In an interview with dzBB, Piston National President Mody Florando said they would air their concerns on the streets again since the government did not address them when they last talked.

Floranda also reiterated his call to the government to prioritize the interest of the public transportation sector and not of large corporations.

“Why do we have to hold another transport strike? Because the government has no concrete answer to our requests. We are saying that if the government really wants to improve our public transportation, why don’t they just push for its rehabilitation? Why does it have to resort to making us buy expensive mini buses that China is selling to our country?” Floranda told dzBB.

Around 100,000 members of PISTON would participate in the strike and they would be joined by other local transport associations and cooperations, he added.

Floranda said he is discussing with Manibela, another transport group, if it would join the transport strike.

This is the second transport strike the PISTON held this year to rally against the PUVMP, the first was a three-day strike in November.

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. earlier declared in a statement that the government would not extend the deadline for consolidation since 70 percent of operators have already consolidated. Jaspearl Tan/DMS