Motorcycles, bicycles and trisikads – about time to regulate them

The last two or three years have seen observable increase in the presence of motorcycles, bicycles, and trisikads in Cebu streets. This could be a sign of progress indicating that more people have now their own vehicles. But like cars and trucks which have also proliferated, these have created serious traffic problems, not to mention the hazards they pose to life and limbs.

As you drive through the major thoroughfares in the city you have to have extra patience not to get peeved by daredevil motorcycle drivers who pass you from left or right without warning or sometimes shoot across your lane as if they are the only ones on the road. You get the creeps of course because if you bump against them it could be fatal for both of you. But even if they are the only ones who get hurt, the idea of being a part of a tragic accident is not exactly a pleasant one.

At times you also come upon a drove of these contraptions running side by side and blocking your path. You press your horn to get a passage, but sometimes they play deaf and dumb. You are tempted to swerve to another lane, but if traffic is tight this is not possible. Besides, by doing so you run the risk of getting hit by a speeding conveyance behind you, or slow down the flow of vehicles, a sign of bad driving.

Overspeeding seems to be the usual antic of motorcycle drivers. Even in congested sectors, they catapult past you, as they chase “holes” amid bumper-to-bumper vehicles. They overspeed in highways, in barangay roads or even, in the case of “habal-habal” drivers, in mountain roads. How many accidents have been caused by their over-speeding is not known, but there must have been plenty.

Unlike motorcycles, bicycles usually do not overspeed, although some racer bikes have been seen to do so. Yet these too are a problem on the roadway, especially in the evening. Although most of them stick to the sides, getting sideswiped is a likelihood because they are not lighted nor do they have reflectorized bumpers. Moreover, these vehicles are sometimes manned by careless bikers who pedal their carriers in the middle of lanes, thereby slowing down traffic or causing a smash-up (One of them, actually bumped against the front side of my ride and got dismantled. But it also disfigured a portion of my vehicle. Good thing the biker escaped with only bruises on his arms.)

Those bikes, by the way, are all unlicensed. Why they are allowed to use the road is a question many are asking. Time was when these two-wheel rides had plate numbers, but this seems to be no longer required. This means that anything goes as far as the use of bicycles are concerned. Thus even if these are not roadworthy they are seen on the road. As for their users, anybody does it, including minors.

Unlicensed too are most trisikads who swarm certain sections of Cebu City and nearby cities. In these areas it’s free for all and driving through them is a calvary. In our place in Bulacao this city, some trisikads are beginning to sport numbered plates, but many are still on the loose. In other areas, most trisikads have no license plates, which means that their presence on the road is unregulated.

Regulation, regulation. In a civilized society regulation is the name of the game. Without this anarchy takes place. And this is true in places where carriers are allowed to do their thing minus control.

Look at the chaos and confusion in places where trisikads are uncontrolled. Because anyone is free to mount these conveyances basic traffic rules are not observed, most probably out of ignorance. Hence, you see them picking up or disgorging passengers in the middle of the road, or passing by you on the right, or constricting passages by clustering on the opposite sides of subdivisions roads.

Like bicycles trisikads have no lightning system. This makes them death traps when transporting commuters at night. But have you not seen them quiet and ghost-like as they do their thing in barangay or main roads?

Motorcycles, bicycles and trisikads are valuable conveyances because they serve the needs of people who cannot afford cars or SUVs. These days when the price of oil is prohibitive, their operation translates to savings on the country’s dollar expenditure, thus helping stabilize the economy. But there should be ample control on their presence. With this in place their roadworthiness can be looked into along with the competence and proper mindset of their drivers, all in the interest of safety for every one.

What is implied here is for the local governments concerned, particularly the barangay units, to come up with regulations that would rationalize the use of these carriers. Surely, when it comes to the safety and security of their constituents local governments should leave no stone untouched.

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