A TOTAL of 121 tricycles, pedicabs, and electric bikes (e-bike) were impounded by the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) from February 1 to 29.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Luisito Acebuche, head of BTAO, said Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año earlier ordered local chief executives to strictly implement the ban on tricycles, pedicabs, and motorized pedicabs on national highways and to create a tricycle task force that shall draw up a tricycle route plan in their areas.
"These units were impounded because they continue to travel in national roads in the city," Acebuche said.
He said the tricycles, pedicabs and e-bikes should use the secondary roads only and they should not travel in national highways.
"They can cross but they cannot traverse," he added.
Acebuche noted that the e-bikes are already considered motorized vehicle so they should register it to the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
BTAO also deputized about 15 policemen from Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) to arrest erring tricycle and pedicab drivers traveling in national roads in Bacolod City.
Acebuche said that after 8 p.m., policemen will take over the posts of the traffic enforcers to arrest the erring drivers including tricycle, pedicab, and e-bike.
He said BCPO also deputized an additional of 73 policemen, who already underwent training with the LTO to arrest erring tricycle, e-bike drivers, and they will be deployed in various areas starting this week.
Acebuche will hold a meeting with Councilor Dindo Ramos, chairperson of the City Council committee on transportation, to clarify some areas in the city with an existing local ordinance where tricycles are authorized to use the national highways include along Barangay Mansilingan, Country Homes, and along Bacolod Government Center.
Bacolod City has a total of 13 national roads.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier 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 City Council, 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).
The task force was led by Leonardia as chairperson, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as co-chairperson, and 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.