MANILA - Commuters should seek alternative means of transportation on Monday, as transport groups are set to stage a strike in Metro Manila and in select provinces in protest of a looming jeepney phaseout.

The strike, which will start early on February 27, aims to prod government to give up its planned phaseout of old jeepneys, and a required P7 million minimum capital for jeepney operators and 10 minimum units for each franchise.

In a statement, transport group PISTON said its members in Metro Manila and allies in several provinces already confirmed participation in the strike.

Metro Manila jeepney drivers will convene at Monumento Circle 6 a.m. on Monday, and at other “protest centers” around the city.

They will gather at the Quezon City Elliptical Circle around 11 a.m. before marching to Mendiola.

A similar transport strike staged earlier in February caused hundreds of passengers to be stranded, and prompted some schools to cancel classes.

To help ease the public's woes, the government deployed its vehicles to provide free rides to stranded commuters.

As of posting, the government has yet to announce whether it will do the same for the upcoming strike. However, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it has met with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), partner agencies and the transport sector to address the issues.

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