2 passengers per trike pushed in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines — Mandaue City is soon to lift the one passenger in a tricycle policy that imposes a P25 fare per passenger.

“Two passengers na. Usa sa sulod and usa sa backride, provided nga naay plastic barrier. But we need pa og concurrent SP (sangguniang panlungsod) legislation,” said Krizzy Hyll Retuya, chief of staff of City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, who is the chairman on transportation at the City Council.

 Retuya said that a resolution on this matter will be filed this Wednesday during the council’s regular session.

He said that if the resolution is approved, then the tricycle fare would be then P20 per passenger.

It can be recalled that the Tricycle-For-Hire Franchising Regulatory Board convened last week on the proposal of Lumapas to allow a maximum of two passengers and reduce the current fare per trip.

Sometine in May of 2020, the City Council passed a resolution adopting the resolution of Tricycle-for-Hire Regulatory Board on the issuance of Special Permit to Operate (SPO) for tricycles and other safety protocols while the city was under Enhanced Community Quarantine and was about to transition to General Community Quarantine.

According to the resolution of the board, only one passenger is allowed every tricycle per trip in compliance with the social distancing protocol.

Drivers shall require their passengers to wear masks all the time and present their quarantine pass.

A plastic barrier shall be installed between the driver and the passenger while bottles of disinfectant shall be in placed in every tricycle. Also, operators/drivers shall disinfect their tricycles before and after operation every day.

Early this year, some members of the Pinagkaisang Samahan nang mga Tsuper at Operator- Cebu conducted a rally in front of City Hall demanding the lifting of the shortened tricycle routes as, according to them, it had depleted their income.

However, despite of the shorter route, the city government has continued to impose a fare of P25 per passenger from P8 pre-pandemic, but only one passenger is allowed to ride this time. — JMD (FREEMAN)