Cebu City moves to strictly enforce tricycle ban

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) is now strictly enforcing the ban on tricycles and pedicabs from the main roads.

This after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued a memorandum circular on January 10 requiring the provincial governors, city and municipal government officials to review the city or municipal tricycle and pedicab franchise and regulatory ordinances on the use of public roads, pathways, and alleys.

Ronnie Nadera, spokesperson of CCTO, said that from July to December 2019, they apprehended 120 pedicabs and 102 tricycles.

“Actually before na issuehan (on DILG’s memorandum), gibawalan na jud na nato. Dugay na ta gapanakop ana, mga trisikad ug mga tricycle,” said Nadera.

Nadera said that since the tricycles are not allowed in the main roads, they are to use the barangay roads, which are meant for smaller vehicles.

He added that the primary roads are the highways or main roads; secondary are the city streets; and the barangay roads fall under the tertiary category.

Among the streets in Cebu City, Nadera said they apprehended the most tricycles and pedicabs in Carbon since the roads there mostly consist of small alleys. With the presence of these tricycles, together with the other vehicles, traffic congestions occur.

Under the memorandum, no tricycle or pedicab should operate on national highways, whether utilized by four-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speed exceed 40 kph.

As regards the load of passengers, the tricycles and pedicabs are not allowed to carry more than what they designed for.

Under Section 46 of Republic Act 4136, parking is prohibited in specified places, namely on crosswalk, within an intersection, within six meters of the intersection of curb lines, within four meters of the driveway entrance to any fire station, within four meters of a fire hydrant, in front of a private driveway, on the road way side of any parked vehicle, and at any place where an official signs prohibiting parking is placed.  JMD (FREEMAN)