Antipolo offers free rides to commuters 

The Antipolo City government deployed its service vehicles for use by commuters who will be affected by the transport strike starting March 6, according to a report by Manila Bulletin.

In a statement, Mayor Casimiro “Junjun” Ynares, III said the local government’s service vehicles will be used for the “Libreng Sakay” (free ride) to ensure that travel to and from the city will not be hampered.

Mayor Ynares also bared that the Federation of Antipolo Public Transport Operators and Drivers Inc. which has 2,000 members will not be joining the weeklong “tigil pasada” (transport strike).

However, in a random interview by this reporter with some of the jeepney drivers, it was learned that some of their co-drivers will participate in the transport strike.

A driver of a public utility jeepney (PUJ) plying the Crossing-Antipolo route told the Manila Bulletin that at least 46 drivers will not be leaving their terminal at least on March 6 in support of the call of a local transport group for a transport

service stoppage from March 6 to 12.

Another PUJ driver whose jeepney serves the Marikina City-Antipolo route, however, said that he and his fellow drivers may not join the week-long transport strike since their respective operators have not signified their intention to participate in the strike.

“Bakit kami sasama sa strike? Saan namin kukunin ang pang boundary kung hindi kami papasada? (Why will we join the strike? Where will we get the money for the boundary?),” one driver said.

Two drivers plying the Cubao-Antipolo route have also signified their intention to join the week-long transport strike.

Some passengers interviewed by Manila Bulletin have mixed reactions to the transport strike with some of them favoring the strike while the others are opposed to it.