The Dumaguete City government is expected to investigate reports about the selling of tricycle franchises to multiple owners using a Special Power of Attorney.
Acting City Treasurer Cristina Merced disclosed that under an existing policy a sidecar franchise has to be returned to the city when the owner dies and for the heirs to reapply before the city council subject to its approval.
But this is not happening, according to Merced.
The same unit is sold by the thousands of pesos and is passed on from one operator to another by way of a special power of attorney only, she added.
This means that the franchisee is making good business out of it, while the city only gets P10,000 for every franchise issued to an operator, the city treasurer pointed out.
She requested the city council to revisit provisions of a proposed ordinance requiring tricycle operators the payment of traffic violation fines and penalties as a prerequisite for the acquisition of a regulatory permit or franchise so as not to be short-changed by the scheme used in selling the franchise.
The city council had deliberated on the said ordinance early this week during their first regular session for the year.
Traffic Management Office chief Danny Atillo said his office only requires a clearance that such motorcab-for-hire or tricycle has no pending payables for traffic violations and that it is road worthy during the renewal of the mayors permit, the other requirements are with the other departments.
Hence, the TMO has no basis to refuse issuance of such clearance on the ground that the operator has an SPA for his unit.
Meanwhile, Atillo has proposed a total truck ban throughout the day up to 8:00 o’clock in the evening inside the poblacion or city proper of Dumaguete to decongest traffic.
Also, Atillo proposed a second option to address the traffic problem, which is to divert cargoes intended for the Dumaguete port to the port of Bacong town so that there will be no more trucks coming in and out of the pier area and passing through the main thoroughfares of the city. (PNA)
