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Sunday, January 05, 2003
Lapu resumes drive against tricycles
By Rose O. Verzosa
NOW that the grace period given to tricycles bearing fake franchises is over, the Lapu-Lapu City Traffic Management System (CTMS) will resume its operation against unregistered tricycles anytime this month.
This means that CTMS will again be impounding tricycle units that do not have a franchise or those with fake franchise.
The CTMS started doing this last year but this was suspended in September when the City Council approved an ordinance granting tricycle operators with fake franchises until Dec. 31 to secure a legitimate one from City Hall.
A tricycle operator with a fake franchise tried to secure a valid franchise last Thursday but City Attorney Joseph Vincent Lim said he rejected the application because the deadline was over.
Lim also announced that CTMS personnel will soon start apprehending tricycle drivers who are found driving along the non-tricycle lane on Quezon Ave.
Tricycle lane
He said there is a national law that prohibits tricycles from entering national roads.
The only reason, he said, tricycles are allowed along Quezon Ave. is because of an old ordinance creating and naming a tricycle lane along that road stretch.
The extreme right lanes of both sides of Quezon Ave. were designated as tricycle lanes and tricycles are not supposed to go beyond this lane.
Lim said tricycles plying along the center and left lanes are already violating the ordinance and must be apprehended.
Starting tomorrow, all renewal of tricycle franchises will also be subject to a clearance from the CTMS.
Last year, the City Council passed an ordinance providing for the standards and criteria in the renewal of tricycle franchises.
The ordinance provides that the motorcycle must not be more than 10 years old and must be in excellent running condition. The hand and foot brakes, motor, sidecar, tires and accessories must also be functional and in good condition.
The CTMS clearance concerning its roadworthi-ness will serve as the basis in the franchise renewal.
Another City Council ordinance also prohibits the sale of tricycle franchise by its original holder to another person. This means that the transfer of ownership of tricycle franchise is no longer allowed and only City Hall can legitimately issue these franchises.
Franchises that are no longer in use must be surrendered to the City and it will be the City who will issue these available franchises to new applicants.
City Hall was concerned over the growing number of tricycles that crowd and cause traffic along the City’s streets.
There are only 3,000 tricycles registered with the City Attorney’s Office but some 6,000 tricycles are estimated to be plying the city’s streets, especially during nighttime.
Many of these do not have any franchise, while others carry fake franchise.
(January 5, 2003 issue)
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