QC cracks whip on ‘colorum’ tricycles

The Quezon City government seized more than a hundred tricycle units during implementation of its anti-colorum operations on Wednesday, four years after an ordinance was passed in line with its ‘One Strike’ policy against tricycles operating illegally in the city (Quezon City Government National Historical Commission, Public Domain)

MANILA, Aug. 3 –The Quezon City government seized more than a hundred tricycle units during implementation of its anti-colorum operations on Wednesday, four years after an ordinance was passed in line with its ‘One Strike’ policy against tricycles operating illegally in the city.

QC Tricycle Franchising Board assistant head Peter Aumentado explained that even if the ordinance – City ordinance 2337-2014, or “The Quezon City Tricycle Management Code of 2014 – was enacted in 2014, it was only last July 2017 that the Implementing Rules and Regulations(IRR) were finalized. Thus, its implementation began Aug. 1, 2017, he said.

Since Tuesday, the QC Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) seized more than a hundred tricycle units during its anti-colorum operations, according to a release issued by the city government.

Mayor Herbert Bautista has directed the DPOS Tricycle Regulations Unit to strictly implement the QC Tricycle Management Code of 2014 following mounting complaints from the city’s residents as well as legitimate tricycle operators.

Under the ‘One Strike’ policy, illegal tricycles will be confiscated on the first offense, and fined PHP3,000. The QC DPOS Tricycle Regulations Unit will then bring the confiscated tricycles to the impounding area at Roces Avenue, Quezon City with the sidecar part to be destroyed.

“May inilabas po na bagong ordinansa ang Quezon City Council tungkol sa Tricycle Management Code ng Quezon City. Ang mga tricycle na walang prangkisa ay huhulihin po namin. Tinatawag po itong batas na ‘one strike’ kapag nahuli ka na walang prangkisa magbabayad ka ng PHP3,000 sa city government, tapos tanggal side car. Nag-umpisa ito kahapon, August 1. Ito ay babala sa lahat ng walang prangkisa sa Quezon City na hindi namin sila tatantanan hangga’t di mauubos ang lahat ng mga colorum,” DPOS Tricycle Regulations Unit officer-in-charge Robert Manuel Dela Cruz said.

The QC DPOS destroys the confiscated sidecars to prevent its further use.

“Pinipitpit po natin ito para hindi na magamit, mapakinabangan at mailabas sa impounding area na ito ang mga illegal na sidecars,” Dela Cruz said.

The implementation was met with resistance from the tricycle owners during the anti-colorum operations.

“Nagkaroon ng tension during the operations. Siyempre, lalaban sila dahil kukunin natin ang tricycle nila pero kalaunan naman naintindihan nila. Kinausap namin sila na ito po ay batas ng Quezon City,” Dela Cruz said. “Sana po lahat ng mga kaibigan natin na may tatlong gulong na walang prangkisa, maging babala itong mga nahuli naming ilegal na tricycle na idinaan sa payloader, sana ihinto na natin ang ilegal na pagbyahe,” Dela Cruz added.

“Sana po lahat ng mga kaibigan natin na may tatlong gulong na walang prangkisa, maging babala itong mga nahuli naming ilegal na tricycle na idinaan sa payloader, sana ihinto na natin ang ilegal na pagbyahe,” Dela Cruz said.

Quezon City has recorded around 5,000 illegal tricycles based on reports collected from among the legitimate tricycle drivers and operators, while 26,400 tricycles are franchised and registered, Jerry Foronda, Sr.Transportation and Regulation Office told PNA.

Foronda, in an interview said enforcement of the ordinance would continue.