The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will provide free transportation to commuters in areas affected by the AKKAP MO Synchronized Unity Walk on Monday.
In an official statement, the LTFRB announced that it has been coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to offer free rides to mitigate any inconvenience caused by the upcoming unity walk.
"We respect the right of drivers and operators to free expression as enshrined in the Constitution, and we acknowledge the concerns of the transport sector,” LTFRB Chairperson Teofilo Guadiz III said.
Guadiz added that they also remain committed to ensuring the commuting public’s access to transportation.
Supporters of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) will march from Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City to Malacañang in Manila, to counter the Senate resolution against the suspension of the PUV modernization program.
The protest is opposite to the previous groups that opposed the modernization program. In a Facebook statement on Friday, the National Federation of Transport Cooperatives (NFTC) said that the initiative is far from the transport strike that ensued in the wake of the modernization program.
“Umaasa ang NFTC na ang paglalakad na ito ay magpapadala ng malinaw na mensahe sa Senado na hindi tatanggapin ng mga mamamayan ng Pilipinas ang anumang pagtatangka na sirain ang sistema ng Public Transport Modernization Program,” the NFTC wrote in a statement.
(The NFTC is hoping that the unity walk sends a clear message to the Senate that Filipinos should not accept any attempts to ruin the Public Transport Modernization Program system)
Earlier, Senators signed a resolution on suspending the implementation of PTMP, to address urgent concerns raised by affected groups. However, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) stood firm with its decision and announced that it would push through the program.
