Tricycles in highways

DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte has warned tricycle drivers to stay off the highway in Toril. Matched with his tough-talking style, this should make all tricycle drivers stay away.

But, let us also remind everyone that it is not just the highway in Toril where tricycles should not be plying.

The Department of Interior and Local Government in 2007 issued Memorandum Circular 2007-01 banning tricycles and pedicabs to operate “on national highways utilized by four-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speed exceeds 40 kph.”

With the ordinance on speed limits, the areas where speeds exceed 40 kph are clearly defined. These are the areas where the speed limit is 60kph, considering the lower speed limit is 40kph. As specified in the speed limit ordinance, the areas where the speed limit is 60kph are: From Sirawan to Ulas Crossing; from Lasang to Panacan Crossing; from Calinan to Ulas Crossing; and from C.P. Garcia Highway-MacArthur Highway junction to Panacan.

The same directive prescribes the minimum standards to be adopted by city and municipal governments in the formulation of a regulatory code for tricycle and pedicab franchise operation, including physical requirements/equipage, fares, load/capacity limit and operating conditions. But then, we all know that public transport in our part of the country is fairly well-covered; especially along highways. Should there be areas not yet served by regular public transport along main roads, these are in distances that do not require major hiking.

There is just so much consideration we can give. Regular motorists have to have their licenses and have to wait in long queues for their renewal. Taxi drivers can only allow a maximum of five passengers in their cab and taxi operators have to pay a premium for a franchise. Tricycles and payong-payong (trisiboats)? Many of them don’t even have driver’s licenses nor are many of their motorcycles registered, and yet we allow them to rule our roads. Many of them stuffing their vehicles with as many as 10 passengers. Where is law and order here, may we ask?

Where do all these brazenness come from?

Simple really. The corrupt and the corruptible; both big-time and small-time.