Bus firms in 'strike' get 3-day reprieve from LTFRB

The bus firms involved in last week's "strike" received a three-day reprieve of sorts from the government after they were given until Thursday, instead of Monday, to explain their actions. Radio dzBB's Roland Bola reported that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will give the 120 firms until Thursday to comply with its "show-cause order." An order to show cause requires one or more of the parties to justify, explain, or prove something. The LTFRB demanded an explanation from the bus operators for refusing to ply their routes in Metro Manila on November 15. Some 8,500 commuters were inconvenienced by the strike, where bus operators opposed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) number-coding scheme for buses. The MMDA started imposing the number-coding scheme for buses on November 15 to decongest the metropolis' roads. LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway said they had initially gave the bus firms until 5:00 p.m. on Monday to explain their side. Iway also said they expect to hold the hearings on the cases of 10 of the bus operators on Thursday. Meanwhile, the government is planning a traffic management summit on December 3 to find ways to address traffic congestion in Metro Manila. – VVP, GMANews.TV