In a bid to curb corruption in tricycles and traffic management in Pasig City, the local government has opened its tricycle franchising system after 12 years, which aims to give colorum tricycle drivers a chance to legalize their operations in the city.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto signed on Wednesday the Executive Order No. 70, Series of 2021 providing 1,800 existing colorum tricycle drivers legal franchise to operate in the city.
"Ang nangyari nung nakaraang 12 years, marami pong na-revoke, maraming colorum, mga na-revoke naging colorum, bumibyahe ng illegal ang ilan sa ating tricycle sa Pasig. Libo po ito (In the past 12 years, there are a lot of colorum tricycle drivers in Pasig City, they are operating illegally. We are talking about thousands of drivers)," Sotto said in his Facebook Live.
"Una, hindi sila nagbabayad. Lugi yung mga lehitimo at prangkisadong mga tricycle. Pangalawa, delikado din ito sa mga mananakay dahil wala silang proteksyon eh. Isipin mo kunyare sumakay ka sa tricycle na colorum tapos may nangyare, pano mo ngayon hahabulin ‘yung tricycle driver? Di mo alam kung sino ‘yan, wala nga syang prangkisa eh di mo s’ya mahahabol. Pangatlo, nakita ko tong the last three or four years, nagkaroon ng mga raket ‘yung iba nating empleyado. Mga ibang enforcer nagkakalagayan, nagkakaroon ng corruption kasi hahayaan, hindi huhulihin magbigay ka nalang (First, they are not paying, which is really unfair to legitimate and franchised tricycle drivers. Second, it is dangerous for passengers because they don't have protection against the colorum tricycles. Imagine riding a colorum tricycle and then something happens, how can you go after the tricycle driver? He or she does not have a franchise so you don't even know the driver's identity. Third, I had observed in the past three or four years, some of our employees had been involved in corruption. There are some traffic enforcers who will not arrest you if you give them money)," he explained.
Sotto said that the tricycle franchise will just cost P420 and added that the opening of the tricycle franchise will also be big factor in removing corruption in the government of Pasig.