While Manila looks at buses without proper government franchise as the cause of traffic in the capital, its neighbor Pasay City is training its sights on wayward tricycles.
City Mayor Antonino Calixto has ordered its Tricycle Pedicab Franchising Regulatory Office (TPFRO) and Traffic Management Office (TMO) to work together to organize passenger terminals for tricycles there.
“The smooth flow of traffic is important for every stakeholder the city has,” the mayor said in a statement. “I’ve instructed offices of the local government who have jurisdiction on the issue to monitor closely all terminals within our city and ensure they follow the Tricycle Code.”
Responding to the mayor’s directive, a composite team from City Hall inspected terminals within Pasay. On Friday, they paid a visit to the waiting area of the Don Carlos Revilla Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association under the Tramo Flyover.
Upon inspection, the team seized four tricycles which did not have a proper franchise. Its drivers, who did not have driver’s licenses issued by the Land Transportation Office, were slapped with Ordinance Violation Receipts.
“The operation at Tramo is just the beginning of our wide-scale crackdown,” Calixto continued. “I expect our teams to pursue those who are illegally operating tricycles at different terminals in the city.”
The operation seeks to penalize those people who are plying routes without authority from the local government. Penalties include having these tricycles impounded. Likewise, it wants to account for drivers who don’t have the necessary license to operate a vehicle such as a tricycle.
The local ordinance states tricycles that are part of a city-recognized association can use designated parking areas in the city. Each parking space must have no more than seven idle tricycles so as not to obstruct the flow of traffic.–MM
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Photo: WTMitchell
