OpinionsEye OpenerDilemma of 300 pedicab drivers

Dilemma of 300 pedicab drivers

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Motorized tricycle operation is one of the most significant, respectable and primary mode of transportation in the City of Dumaguete. It is among the city’s key sources of livelihood for low-income earners and unemployed people. Similarly, it is one form of affordable, relatively safe and convenient transportation available in rural areas since it can operate economically even in miserable road conditions and low passenger traffic density that make jeepneys and bus operations inefficient and not viable.

Currently, there are 300 tricycles in the city that are operating without permits. Not having a permit is bad enough, however, the bigger problem is that the city cannot identify or determine which ones of the 2,500 units in operation are illegal. Should City Hall officers or TMO guys flag down each of these tricycles? This could prove inconvenient not just to tricycle drivers but also to passengers and could cause additional traffic on the roads. Another question that comes to mind is — how come these illegal tricycle operations have persisted?

MTOP (Motorized Tricycle Operator’s Permit)
The MTOP is an indispensable document for one to qualify in using and operating a motorized tricycle for any livelihood functions, whether it’s for a local delivery or for a transportation business. The MTOP has a validity of three (3) years and local application fees vary for different cities and towns here in the Philippines. The requirements for one to be able to obtain an MTOP are the following: Barangay Clearance; Police Clearance; Copy of Certificate of Registration and Official Receipt from LTO; Copy of Franchise (LTFRB); Endorsement from the Traffic Management Office; Filled up Application Form; Duly Notarized Application Form

Could it be that operators/drivers have a hard time complying with these requirements, thus, they just go ahead and proceed operating without complying the prerequisites?

A proposed regulatory ordinance authored by City Councilor Alan Gel Cordova states that traffic violations be paid first, including fines and penalties, before a mayor’s permit can be issued to tricycles and public utility vehicles plying the streets of Dumaguete City.

Could this be the reason why they cannot secure a permit? Because they have previous fines and penalties that need to be settled and they can’t settle, perhaps, because they don’t have the money to pay? So again, they just go ahead and operate?

Having illegal modes of transportation plying in our streets is very dangerous. What if an accident occurs? Can drivers and operators be held liable? If these people don’t have permits, it correspondingly mean that they don’t have any legal personalities and when one does not have any legal personality in a business transaction, it’s like you don’t exist, you’re like a ghost. So, who can run after a “ghost”? Can a “ghost” be liable and be held accountable to the law?

Another point — when a business does not have a permit, it means there are no records, and when there are no records, again, it means that the business is ‘non-existent.’ So, take the case of a rape-murder case which is committed by a driver. How can authorities trace that pedicab or that driver when there are no records available? How can investigators even obtain leads if they don’t even know where to start the investigation or everything is so vague because the one and only document necessary to at least commence and embark and inquiry is absent?

The city government needs to act fast on the clearing of these illegal tricycles. This is not just a matter of 300 operators/drivers operating a business without permits. This is not just a matter of some agency personnel being slow, if not derelict, in their duties. It’s not just a matter of city officials “looking the other way” or them tolerating this reprehensible practice. These 300 illegal tricycles is also a matter of local security that needs to be resolved once and for all for the sake of our loved ones, especially our children who ride on these tricycles. These illegal tricycles do not just pose a danger to people, it is also a grave threat to the city’s well-being and safety. We need to act NOW!

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Author’s email: [email protected]

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