By Fernan Angeles
CITING extreme poverty among thousands of passenger jeepney drivers who have been sidelined amid government-imposed restriction, a transport group appealed for government compassion by allowing them to ply back their routes if only to ensure that their families don’t starve to death.
The Liga ng Transportasyon at Operators sa Pilipinas (LTOP) called on transportation officials to seriously consider their plea for a green light to traditional jeepneys.
LTOP president Orlando Marquez said that they have already approached Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board to open more jeepney routes so drivers would no longer have to beg on the streets.
“We hope they would be able to go back on the main thoroughfares that are part of their routes so that our colleagues in the transport sector would not have to beg on the streets,” Marquez said.
Among the routes they want opened are those passing through Cubao, Antipolo, Pasig, Quiapo, Alabang, Zapote, Baclaran, Guadalupe and C5.