DRIVERS AND OPERATORS of public utility jeepneys (PUJ) in Cebu joined their counterparts in other areas of the country in yesterday’s nationwide rally against the government’s PUJ phaseout and modernization program, and they had one other matter to protest against: the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the city. Greg Perez, coordinator of the Cebu transport group, told The Freeman that they want to send the message to the mayor that they are against the BRT, which is seen to affect some 3,000 PUJ drivers and operators. In a separate interview, Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña said he is willing to listen to the transport sector’s concerns. “Their voices should be heard and we have been doing consultations since 2008. We will listen and do what we can. When I was in high school, I remember the calesa (horse-drawn carriage) or parada drivers demanding my father, the mayor, not to phase them out. That’s history,” Mr. Osmeña said. — The Freeman