Trinidad village petitions for tricycle route

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – If Beckel village has its way, tricycles will abound. 
  
Ronald Contic, president of the Barangay Beckel Tricycle Operator Drivers Association Inc. (BBTODAI), is asking for the approval of the local government for the operation of a trike route in Beckel. 
  
Contic in his letter to Mayor Greg Abalos said asked for the trike route and stressed that the association is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
  
The group currently has an initial membership of 15 persons whose main purpose in asking for approval of the trike operation is to serve as a livelihood for the association as well as to legalize their operation and more importantly to transport local folk to and from their homes. 
  
Contic said in the area there are "students, individuals who are coming home late and to others who are rushing towards their destination in the sitios." 
  
Beckel residents likewise signed the letter pushing for the approval of the request of the BBTODAI, stating that they have no opposition for the operation of tricycles within the community. "Instead, we suggest the operators/drivers to legalize their operations," the letter read.  
  
"At present some are operating and helps a lot specially to students or individuals who are coming home late or rushing towards their destination within the barangay where usual public utility vehicle cannot extend their services," residents said in their letter.  
  
The proposal is for trikes to ply the Barangay Beckel - Vizcaya National road.  
  
Residents claim legal operations of trike units will be "for our convenience in the community we strongly recommend the approval of the request of the Barangay Beckel Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (BBTODA) for the legality of their operation." 
  
Contic said most of operators and drivers are member of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT). "They will act as look out during their operation to maintain peace and order within the locality, where our target route is all Sitios that cannot be supplied by services of public utility vehicles." 
  
The request was endorsed by Beckel village chief Murphy Quezon.  

Mayor Greg Abalos forwarded the letter request to the local council Monday, which has been refereed the committee on public works headed by Councilor Jim Botiwey.