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MORE than one million public
utility vehicle drivers and operators are expected to lose their
jobs once the Department of Transportation and Communication
implements its department order calling for the phase out of
10-year-old Asian utility vehicles.
According to
Efren de Luna, president of the Alliance of Concerned Transport
Organization, DOTC Order 2004-52 issued on October 6, 2004, must not
be imposed, because it will only worsen the number of jobless
individuals in the country.
“An estimate
of 1.5 millions individuals will be affected by the phase out,
drivers and operators and their dependents . . .” said de Luna.
DOTC issued
the order as part of the modernization program for public transport
and at the same time eliminate illegal AUVs operating in the
country.
The department
said most of the AUVs operating in the country are without valid
franchises and only put the commuting public in danger because
colorum AUVs don’t have insurance.
The illegal
AUVs also compete with legitimate PUV and virtually robbing legal
AUV driver and operators of their income.
De Luna, in a
letter addressed to President Arroyo, is asking the President to
allow the operators of AUVs to operate for another three years to
prepare them for the phase out.
He explained
that AUV operators are dependent on their daily income to feed their
families and they cannot afford to buy new units to replace their
old ones.
“If the DoTC
will allow the phase out, there will be more to added to the ranks
of jobless individuals with no means to feed their hungry family,”
de Luna added.
He estimated
the number of AUV van drivers at 1.5 million, including those who
operate FX, Revo, Adventure, Crosswind, L-300 and other types of
vans being utilized as passenger vans around the country.
 --Jefferson
Antiporda
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