Transport strike paralyzes Manila

Transport strike paralyzes Manila

MANILA (UPI): A metropolitan Manila-wide jeepney strike momentarily left hundreds of commuters stranded yesterday, as the drivers of the Philippines' main mode of public transportation protested a recent government move to hike by 400 percent the fine for traffic violations.

The striking jeepney drivers displayed yesterday morning red placards and banners bearing their grievances and badgered those who refused to join their protest action.

But the strike fizzled out in the afternoon, the police said, as the government used back-up passenger vehicles to take the jeepneys' place.

The police was unable to give an official estimate of the number of strikers, but Maj. Gil Hitosis of the Traffic Management Command said the figure may be between 500 to 1,000.

The Movement for Transportation Organization, the country's largest jeepney operators' union, earlier demanded a review of a plan to increase the fine for traffic violations that a local government agency wants to implement.