City earns P13M in trisikad fines

The Cebu City government through the City Traffic Operations Management earned P13 million last year from the fines of trisikad drivers apprehended for operating in the city streets where they are banned.

CITOM executive officer Arnel Tancinco said the members of the Task Force Trisikad made 13,125 apprehensions and operators of the trisikads are required to pay a P1,000 fine for their violation.

Those who fail to pay the corresponding fines are not allowed to redeem their apprehended units that will be placed in the impounding area of CITOM in the North Reclamation Area.

In a report to Councilor Augustus Pe Jr., a member of the council's committee on police, Tancinco claimed that the number of apprehensions last year was higher compared to 12,665 apprehensions in 2005.

But despite of the number of apprehensions made last year, trisikads are still very rampant even in streets where they are prohibited.

Trisikads are allowed only in villages away from routes of public utility vehicles, but some operators and drivers insist on operating in prohibited places.

Trisikad operations are very rampant in Salvador Street in barangay Labangon, C. Padilla Street in barangay Mambaling, Taboan area, port area and barangays Pasil, Sawang Calero, San Nicolas and Suba.

Meanwhile, the city government also earned about P2 million from the fines of 42,565 persons who were apprehended for violating the anti-jaywalking ordinance.

Although Tancinco failed to state how many violators were able to pay their fines, the ordinance provides that every person apprehended for jaywalking or crossing the street outside the pedestrian lanes, must pay P50 for every violation. - Rene U. Borromeo/BRP