Monday, January 21, 2008 TMC cracks down on trisikads anew By Grace L. Plata
THE Traffic Management Center continues its crackdown on trisikads plying Davao City's main thoroughfares, TMC Chief Celso Gempesaw said.
According to Gempesaw, several trisikad units were already impounded though the total figures have yet to be consolidated. The report will be released Monday.
The trisikad, an alternative means of transportation made by attaching a sidecar to a bike, is only meant to service routes not accessed by public utility vehicles such a jeepneys and taxis.
This means the trisikads are barred from plying the city's main streets like Quezon Blvd., Magsaysay, Roxas, Jacinto and Monteverde just to name a few.
"Pwede sila mutabok (They can cross). For example from Jacinto to Roxas paingon sa Rizal Extension Pero for them to go along with the route of jeepneys, di gyud na (that is not) allowed," Gempesaw said.
He added that TMC will be strictly enforcing these guidelines now as they expect traffic to worsen with the increase in registered vehicles.
"Two years ago, tolerant lang ta kay 80,000 vehicles lang man ang registered within the city. Apil na buses, jeepneys and trucks ana. Now, we are approaching close to 110,000 maong di na gyud pwede kay musamot ang ka-traffic. Sila man gyud ang distorbo sa atong mga karsadang dagko (we have been tolerant because there were only 80,000 registered vehicles in the city; these already include buses, jeepneys and trucks. Now with registered vehicles nearing 110,000, traffic will become worse. Trisikads are a nuisance in major streets)," Gempesaw said.
The TMC chief added that unlike in the previous years where the trisikad is returned to the operator after paying the fines, this time it will not be so.
"Di na gyud ni iuli sa tag-iya (The trisikads will no longer be returned to the owners)," Gempesaw said.
He also added that ambulant vendors who are selling their wares along the sidewalks would also be apprehended.
