CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – A group of “bao-bao” (tricab) drivers has appealed to the local government here to allow them to ply their usual routes and cater passengers to provide food for their families.
ROADS and Traffic Administration personnel flag down a ‘bao-bao’ vehicle after it was caught traveling on the national highway in Cagayan de Oro City. (File photo courtesy of the City Information Office of Cagayan de Oro)
The Bugo-Puerto-Agusan-Tablon-CugmanTricab Operators and Drivers Association (BPATC-TODA) stressed that they were asking the local government to consider their request “just for the meantime” while they are still processing the requirements to avail themselves of the livelihood program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
"We, the bao-bao drivers, particularly in Barangay Puerto, are still confused about the food we’re going to provide to our families, as we’re having a hard time taking passengers," BPATC-TODA president Armando Villaflor told the Manila Bulletin in vernacular on Monday, June 19.
Villaflor said DOLE oriented the group on June 4 in Phase 2, Barangay Bugo on the agency’s Integrated Livelihood Program since they’re planning to start their own business as an alternative to being bao-bao drivers.
However, they are still processing their requirements to get the livelihood starter kits from DOLE, which prompted them to ask the city government to temporarily allow them to ply their routes from 8 p.m. onwards.
The group is hoping to finish the requirements within this month.
On June 14, Engr. NonitoOclarit, assistant department head of the Roads and Traffic Administration, confirmed that the RTA-led composite team, together with the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Region 10 and the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, will start the massive operation against bao-bao vehicles in the city after the Charter Day commemoration on June 15.
The tricab drivers said they were forced to pick up passengers despite the prohibition to earn some income and sustain the needs of their families.
Councilor Romeo Calizo, chairman of the city council committee on public utilities, reiterated during their last meeting with the transport groups here that tricabs are prohibited under the law from traveling on highways and are not allowed to be used as public transport.
The registrations given by the LTO to these vehicles are only for private use.
The city government already gathered the bao-bao drivers here to tackle their concerns, which prompted the committee on public utilities to make a position paper to also express its support to the other local government units (LGUs) in the country calling to amend the law and allow tricabs to be used as public transportation.
But he said he still hasn’t received any developments as to the move they initiated.
As much as Calizo would like to grant the group’s request, he said there’s no law yet allowing bao-bao vehicles to operate as public transport. If the LGU allowed them, the LGU would face the consequences.
"They can only be used for public transport if there’s a law that would allow them. That’s only then that they can be issued with the franchise or whatever authority, a provisional permit maybe from the LGU, for as long as we have the reference from Congress," Calizo said in a separate interview with the Manila Bulletin on Monday, June 19.
Calizo nevertheless expressed his support to the bao-bao drivers, acknowledging the tricabs’ best capacities compared to "motorela" and "habal-habal." Bao-bao vehicles also provide a huge help for commuters, especially in the hinterland areas.