Mayor Cortes: No phase out of tricycles in Mandaue City

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes yesterday clarified that there is no truth over the reports that tricycles for hire in the city will be phased out.

The reports came after the city government announced that it will soon ban tricycles to ply the major thoroughfares in the city.

In a press conference, Cortes said there will be no phasing out of tricycles and the city would only implement a national law prohibiting these vehicles to use the major streets. He also issued this clarification during an earlier meeting with tricycle drivers and operators in the city.

The city government still continues to release more tricycle franchises for those who wish to avail themselves of these, said the mayor, adding that at present there are still 500 franchises available.

Cortes told The Freeman that he reminded the tricycle’s drivers and operators that they are prohibited by law to ply the national roads and take instead the secondary roads for their routes.

“The city will not phase them out,” said the mayor although he clarified to them that the city government had also ordered the apprehension of “colorum tricycles,” or those without permit to operate.

In a related development, the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue, or TEAM, has been calling all drivers and operators of public utility jeepneys, plying the city ‘s major streets, to inform them of the city’s plan for a new re-routing scheme, as an offshoot to the ban against tricycles from these roads. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE (FREEMAN)