A transport group on Wednesday declared that they will be holding a three-day strike next week to protest against the government’s public utility vehicle (PUV) modernization program.

This comes before the December 31 deadline for the franchise consolidation of PUVs.

In a press briefing, Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) said the protest will be held from November 20 to 23.

“This franchise consolidation is the first step in taking away the livelihood of drivers and operators,” Piston National President Mody Floranda said in a statement.

“This (program) does not aim to fix issues in public transport but to make it easier for large businesses and corporations to take away the routes and livelihoods of small operators,” he added.

Floranda urged all the operators and drivers nationwide to join them in their protest.

“We are calling on all drivers and operators all over the country to participate in our strike to fight for our livelihood and our rights,” he said.

Under the PUV modernization program, operators and drivers of traditional jeepneys who failed to consolidate their franchises will not be allowed to operate after the deadline.

The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said there are around 120,023 units yet to be modernized, including public utility buses.

The LTFRB said it ''remains firm on the Dec. 31 deadline.'' ''The program aims to modernize all consolidated units and those additional units which may be determined by the route rationalization exercise in the next 10 years,'' it added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS