The City Government of Bacolod will hold a consultative meeting to address the operation of electric bikes (e-bike) in various barangays.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Monday, April 22, that it’s the concern of the tricycle associations in the barangays that several e-bikes were also operating in the barangays without business permits.
He said it was unfair to the tricycle drivers since they were operating with business permits while the e-bikes were not complying with it.
“Together with the tricycle associations, we will call for a consultative meeting or public hearing. We will find a consensus to determine what we can do moving forward. But, at the end of the day, the local government is just concerned that the riding public will not lose a public utility vehicle,” he added.
The mayor noted that they will determine the exact number of e-bikes needed to operate in the city and they will create a guideline for its operation.
“We will sit down and ask the City Council to pass the necessary legislation to formalize the guidelines and regulations,” Benitez said.
Moreover, Benitez said that based on the statement of the tricycle associations, at least 2,000 tricycles were operating without business permits in the city.
“We will find a common ground for everyone,” he said.*