MANILA (UPDATED) — Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista on Wednesday said authorities were willing to give in to the demands of jeepney drivers and operators — except for one.

Transport groups Piston and Manibela mounted transport strikes this week to lobby against some provisions of the jeepney modernization program, which they claim could result in the phaseout of traditional units.

• 'Parati tayong minamaliit': 2 transport groups combine strike

The DOTR is open to talks with the two groups and is willing to agree to most of the demands, including the grant of a 5-year franchise instead of one, Bautista said.

But he said that the issue on industry consolidation is something they could not give in. The Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier said the consolidation was “non-negotiable.”

Under the PUV modernization program, jeepneys and operators were given until Dec. 31 to form a cooperative that would allow them easier access to funds, especially when applying for loans, among others.

“We are ready to address all these, but one very important issue that sabi namin non-negotiable ay yung industry consolidation. Because we really need players to consolidate into cooperative or corporation,” Bautista at the sideline of the Pilipinas Conference in Makati.

• Jeepney operators share 'nightmare' about consolidation

"Scrapping the consolidation process is non-negotiable kasi kapag sinabi mong i-scrap mo iyong consolidation process ay gusto mo na ring ibasura iyong buong PUVMP Program, eh hindi naman po doon patungo itong negosasyon na ito," LTFRB spokesperson Celine Pialago told state television PTV, also on Wednesday.

Bautista added that many big groups were also supportive of the jeepney modernization program.

“Nasanay na kami dito sa transport strike na ginagawa ng Manibela. Yung Piston we were talking to them yesterday,” he said.

“Ready [kami] makipag-usap anytime sa kanila. Importante ang tamang communication, pero dapat maging serious at honest tayo sa mga intentions," he added.

The transportation department has been pushing for the PUV modernization project since the previous Duterte administration.

Jeepney drivers and operators oppose the program, saying the new "modern jeepneys" are too expensive and will deprive single-unit operators of route franchises that will then go to big corporations and to transport cooperatives.

Some drivers and operators have argued that upgrading existing jeepneys will be a less expensive way to make them more fuel efficient and environment friendly.

Piston first organized a transport strike Monday which would end today. Manibela, on the other hand, said its transport strike would last until Friday.

• Fresh transport strike set on Nov. 22-24; LTFRB says jeepney consolidation non-negotiable

-- Waiving of penalties, extension of franchises --

Meanwhile, the LTFRB has agreed to is to waive the penalties against drivers who failed to pay the P1,000 annual confirmation fee, Pialago said.

“Pag tayo ay sasailalim sa consolidation, nare-review yung kanilang dokumento. Nakita doon na ang ibang tsuper at operator, umabot na sa 10-15 years. Waived na po iyon,” she said.

The government has also agreed to extend the franchise year to 5 years for drivers who have successfully joined a cooperative, Pialago said.

“Ang request po nila na pag extend ng franchise up to 5 years. Ngayon kasi ay may provisional authority sila ng 1 year,” she said.

“After nila mag consolidate, 5 years na ang kanilang franchise. Ang franchise na yung ay ibibigay after maaprubahan ang kanilang kooperatiba,” she added.

Pialago said another meeting is scheduled between the LTFRB and transport group leaders to further discuss the plight and requests of drivers and operators.

But so far, the back-to-back transport strikes had minimal impact in Metro Manila, the LTFRB spokesperson said.

• Transport strike prompts MMDA to suspend number coding

“Ang basis po natin diyan, ma’am, iyong government assets na inire-ready po natin para ito po ang nagagamit para po ma-attend iyong mga pangangailangan po ng ating mga commuters,” she said.

“Iyong mga unang tigil-pasada po, ang government assets, 66 lang po ang na-deploy. Sa ngayon po wala pa po akong exact figures, pero hindi pa po umaabot ng 50 government assets ang nadi-deploy para po magbigay ng libreng sakay,” she added.

The government has launched a scholarship program to upskill jeepney drivers who wish to change careers, while an entrepreneurship program was also opened to teach drivers and operators how to establish and manage their own businesses.

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