Saturday, August 09, 2008 Talisay tricycle drivers threaten protest
DESPITE the City Council’s approval of the P7 minimum fare in Talisay, tricycle drivers are not contented with the new rate.
The newly amended ordinance sets a minimum P7 fare for the first three kilometers and P8 beyond this distance.
But a group of tricycle drivers are planning to stage a protest at Talisay City Hall on Monday because they want a uniform P8 fare, said Councilor Edward Alesna.
At least two officials of a tricycle drivers’ group - Melflor Bihag and Mario Menyamen - sought audience with Alesna yesterday and insisted on the implementation of the original measure, which set P8 as minimum fare.
Alesna, head of the committee on laws, sponsored the measure raising the minimum fare from P6 to P8 for the first four kilometers and an additional P1 for every succeeding kilometer.
The City Council approved the P8 fare during its regular session last month.
Mayor Socrates Fernan-dez, however, vetoed the ordinance saying the P8 minimum fare was too much of a burden for commuters.
Heeding the mayor’s call, the City Council amended the ordinance in last Tuesday’s session and set P7 as the new fare rate.
In their meeting, Alesna said he told Bihag and Menyamen that the measure has already been amended and that modifying the tricycle fare again would not be feasible at this time.
The new ordinance mandates drivers to give a P1 discount to students, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
Alesna said the City Council committee on laws, transportation, and peace and order have jointly come up with a fare matrix setting the routes for the P7 minimum fare.
He said the fare matrix is meant to ensure that tricycle drivers will not resort to overcharging or imposing a double fare on their passengers.
Passengers were complaining that tricycle drivers would double the fare even if their trip covers only less than three or four kilometers.
Council members noted that all the routes in Talisay would not go beyond four kilometers, except when one goes to the mountain barangays.
Alesna said the new fare rate would take effect once Fernandez signs the official matrix, which will be posted in all tricycle units operating in the city.
He warned tricycle drivers not to collect the new fare without the fare matrix.
Recently, Alesna’s office has been swamped with complaints that drivers have already started collecting P7 or even P8 from passengers, even before the council could approve the amended ordinance. (GC)
