Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año has 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. This move is part of the agency’s road clearing operations.
“Matagal na nating ipinagbabawal ang mga tricycles at pedicabs sa national highway ngunit ang daming pasaway. Hindi lang ito nakakasagabal sa daan kundi nagiging sanhi ng sakuna sa kalye. Kaya dapat nang maging mahigpit ang mga mayor at ang pulis at siguruhing maipapatupad ang ban na ito,” Año said.
He said that tricycles are also not allowed to even cross or make a U-turn on national highways. “Local governments must review and modify tricycle routes according to the ban and are encouraged to include in their plans the construction of local roads or overpasses where the tricycles can operate,” he added.
Moreover, the DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-036 states that each city and municipality should create a tricycle task force separate from the tricycle regulatory boards to formulate or review its tricycle route plan.
The task force will be composed of the mayor as chairman, the chief of police as vice-chairman, and the Sanggunian’s committee chair on transportation or public safety, the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, the head of the tricycle regulatory board, the head of the Department of Public Order and Safety, the planning and development officer, the head of the traffic management office, and the local government operations officer as members.
Representatives of the transportation department and its attached agencies will function as resource persons of the task force, while the head of the city or municipal legal office shall provide secretariat support to it.
Admin sanctions
The DILG Secretary said that non-compliance to the latest directive will warrant the issuance of a show-cause order, and failure to provide a sufficient response shall be a ground for the filing of appropriate administrative cases pursuant to Section 60 of the Local Government Code and other laws and policies.
“It is the responsibility of local chief executives to exact accountability and impose the corresponding sanctions against non-supportive or non-compliant local officials and employees,” he said.
He also said that compliance with the trike ban order will form part of the validation and assessment of the compliance of local government units to the continued implementation of the presidential directive on road clearing.
On top of Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, prior DILG directives – DILG Memorandum Circulars 2007-11, 2011-68 and 2020-004 –have already been issued prohibiting the presence of tricycles and pedicabs on national roads and prescribing the operating conditions and franchising of tricycles.
Anything to add to this story? Share your thoughts with us.
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad!
