By Jhon Aldrin Casinas After two months of no operation, tricycles have resumed transporting passengers in Pasig City on Monday. On May 16, Mayor Vico Sotto said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has approved the guidelines of the local government for the resumption of operations of tricycles in the city. The mayor said public transportation remains to be one of the biggest challenges of the city government now that the National Capital Region, along with other provinces, shifted into Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ). “Tricycles will be of great help in solving the mobility shortages of Pasigueño employees in a way that social distancing will still be observed,” he said in his official Facebook page. According to the guidelines of the local government, tricycles are only allowed to operate from 5 a.m. to 12 midnight. As part of the safety protocol, each tricycle can only transport one passenger at a time. A “barrier” must also be installed between the driver and the passenger. With the limited operation of tricycles, Sotto said each passenger has to pay up to P25 for the first two kilometers. He said an additional P5 will be added for every succeeding kilometer. Tricycles are also required to be disinfected twice a day. Private tricycles, on the other hand, are allowed to ply the street as long as they attach a “Not for Hire” sign on their vehicles. In the early days of the Luzon lockdown, Sotto allowed the limited operations of tricycles in Pasig City primarily to transport essential workers and for emergency purposes. However, the DILG blocked the move of the mayor, saying that the three-wheeled vehicles are prohibited during the period of the enhanced community quarantine. Sotto complied with the directive, but the National Bureau of Investigation still summoned him to explain his alleged violation of Republic Act 11469, the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act.”