BACOLOD CITY – The Traffic and Transportation Management Office has impounded 112 vehicles as part of its ongoing enforcement of the Tricycle Route Plan Ordinance and clearing operations from June 19 to June 25.
TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos said the impounded units included 43 e-trikes, 35 motorcycles, 25 tricycles, six cargo carriers, two pedicabs or trisikads and one Racal-type vehicle.
Of the total, 93 vehicles have already been claimed by their owners after paying the required fines.
Common violations involved tricycles and e-trikes operating without a franchise and motorcycles driven without valid licenses.
Garbanzos acknowledged that stricter enforcement of the TRP has occasionally resulted in altercations between drivers and traffic enforcers.
He reminded enforcers to practice maximum tolerance and clearly explain violations to drivers.
For vehicles without a driver’s license or official registration documents, drivers are required to sign an affidavit of undertaking to renew their papers while using public roads.
He reiterated that e-trikes are essentially upgraded trisikads and must remain on their assigned routes.
“Their route as trisikads should not be exceeded,” he said.
“When they use national highways or pick up passengers outside designated areas, they are considered colorum.”
Garbanzos added the city government is prioritizing amendments to Regulation Ordinance No. 2017-131 to reflect the growing number of e-trikes converted from trisikads.
The amendment aims to assign dedicated routes for e-trikes.
He also said the city will review the current route plan to avoid overlap between the TRP and the local public transport route plan.
Garbanzos urged unauthorized tricycle operators to secure the necessary franchise to legalize their operations.
Doing so, he emphasized, will help ensure safer and more organized public transport within the city.
In areas without approved routes, TTMO is encouraging tricycle operators to organize and apply for new or developmental routes for inclusion in the TRP. (Rjay Zuriaga Castor via tdg)