Drivers and operators launched a protest caravan on June 2, together with commuters and urban poor groups, to call for the scrapping of the Metro Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) NCAP or No Contact Apprehension Policy. Starting from University Avenue in UP-Diliman, the caravan traveled through major thoroughfares in Metro Manila and ended in front of the MMDA office on EDSA-Ortigas. Piston, Defend Jobs Philippines, Taguig TODA, MoveIt drivers affected by massive layoffs, and Kadamay under the Stop NCAP Coalition launched the protest.

According to the coalition, NCAP is illegal, anti-poor, and has bypassed due processes.

The group stated, “This policy results in increasing complaints from the public because of high and excessive fines, which more frequently hit drivers of transport network vehicles (TVNS) or delivery riders, motorcycle rentals, tricycles, and ordinary citizens.”

Legal experts and human rights groups earlier questioned the policy, particularly regarding its constitutional basis and processes. They said the policy is defective as it does not give prior notice, lacks mechanisms for appeal, and implemented through surveillance which violates the right to privacy.

Before this, the groups held a press conference last May 20, where they again called for the scrapping of the jeepney phaseout or the bogus transport modernization program. They called for the establishment of a pro-people transport system that is pro-poor and nationalist.

According to Piston, many jeepney drivers have practically stopped operating since the forced implementation of the bogus modernization. They condemned the current Department of Transportation head Vince Dizon for disregarding the hardships drivers face after the state deprived them of their franchises.

Defend Jobs Philippines declared that the worsening transport crisis and the dire condition of workers are integrated issues and are rooted in an exploitative economic system dominated by foreign interests. Workers are affected by the long hours they spend on the road due to traffic, high fares, and low income, which adversely affect their lives and dignity.

Based on the group’s research, seven out of every ten workers in Metro Manila spend more than one hour stuck in traffic. They say that productivity losses reach up to ₱3.5 billion per day, and expect this to rise to ₱4.5 billion per day in the coming years.

Drivers, especially those on motorcycles, also questioned the policy’s implementation without proper road infrastructure. They said that traffic signages are unclear and only confuses drivers.

The groups plan to persevere in opposing NCAP, as well as other policies that burden drivers and commuters. They laid out their plans for the coming days, which will culminate in a nationally coordinated action on June 5.