THE newly appointed head of the City of Talisay Traffic Operation Development Authority (CT-TODA) has ordered his personnel to strictly implement the “no franchise, no plying” policy for tricycles.
Retired Senior Supt. Hiram Benatiro, CT-TODA head, told Sun.Star Cebu he wants a strict implementation of the policy after receiving reports that around 1,000 tricycle drivers in Talisay City are plying the streets without franchises issued by the City.
Benatiro said the previous city administration allowed new tricycles to ply the streets even without franchises.
He blamed the increasing number of unregistered tricycles as among the causes of Talisay City’s worsening traffic situation.
To solve the problem, Benatiro instructed his personnel to prevent tricycles without franchises from plying. He also ordered his personnel to conduct information drive for tricycle drivers and operators to remind them about the City’s traffic code.
Benatiro also met with operators of electric-powered tricycles (e-trikes), locally known as racal, and reminded them that if they failed to secure a vehicle registration and license from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), their units could be impounded.
More than 50 e-trikes are reportedly being used as public utility vehicles in Talisay City.
But even with their marching orders from Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas to improve the city’s traffic situation within the first 100 days of the new administration, Benatiro lamented they lack personnel to man all areas of the city.
As of this month, CT-TODA only has 62 personnel.
Benatiro said he needs at least 100 job order personnel to serve as traffic enforcers so that all areas of the city will be covered.
He plans to fill CT-TODA with plantilla employees that will serve crucial posts within the traffic office, such as training job order employees as traffic enforcers, among others.