BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued Executive Order (EO) 10 creating the Bacolod City Tricycle Task Group.
The EO, which was signed by Leonardia on February 24, stated that Section 447 3 (vi) and Section 458 3(i) of the Local Government Code of 1991 conferred unto the City Government, through the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the power to regulate the operation of tricycles and the grant of franchise for the operation thereof within their territorial jurisdiction, subject to the guidelines prescribed by the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
Leonardia said the guidelines to implement the devotion of LTFRB’s Franchising Over Tricycles-For-Hire to local government units pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991 of Republic Act No. 7160 prohibits the operations of tricycles along national highways by stating that, “For safety reasons, no tricycles should operate on national highways utilized by 4-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speed exceed 40 kph.”
He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Circular No. 2020-036, Series of 2020 mandates the creation of a task force which is separate and distinct from the Tricycle Board or Unit of the City, if already organized.
He added the same circular covers motorized tricycles defined as a motor vehicle duly registered with the Land Tranportation Office composed of a motorcycle fitted with a single wheeled side car or two wheeled cab, close van or open cart whether powered by gasoline or electricity.
The task force was led by Leonardia as chairperson, Vice-Mayor El Cid Familiaran as co-chairperson, Bacolod City Police Office director Colonel Henry Biñas as vice-chairperson.
The task force members are Councilor Lady Gles Pallen, DILG director Joy Maredith Madayag, LTO officer-in-charge Renato Novero, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office head Lieutenant Colonel Luisito Acebuche, City Planning and Development head Mary Jean Ramos, Permits and Licensing head Stela Rose Rayos, Executive Assistants George Zulueta, Ernesto Penida, and Celestino Guara, Edgardo Ombio chairperson of Caftoda, and the LTFRB-6.
The task force will conduct meetings, public consultations and hearings with stakeholders, and survey/inspections of the zone/area of tricycle operations with special focus on rationalizing the authorized routes of all tricycles and pedicabs to ensure that they are banned from national highways; identification of national roads within the city; and determination of the portions of the national highway presently used or proposed to be traversed by tricycles only if there are no alternative routes available.
The task force will also draft or update the tricycle route plan within 30 days from the issuance of the executive order.
The task force shall include the motorcycle with bicycle pedals and e-bikes in the tricycle route plan, and they shall coordinate with the task force of adjoining LGUs traversed by the same national highway in order to come up with a more coherent tricycle route plan. (MAP)