MANILA — The Quezon City local government is now looking for alternate routes for the various tricycle groups to decongest Katipunan Avenue.
The Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) is set to form a technical working group (TWG) that will be tasked to plan an alternate route for 660 tricycles plying Katipunan Avenue, a national road.
DPOS chief Elmo San Diego has sent a letter to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) requesting to suspend its operations against the members of Old Balara Capitol Hills Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association, Loyola-Pansol TODA and Loyola Heights TODA in plying Katipunan Avenue.
The city government has issued license to operate to more than 24,700 tricycle units, all belonging to the 150 TODAs. The number does not include an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 “colorum” or unregistered tricycles operating in the city.
Last week, the Inter-agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) launched an operation along Katipunan Avenue against tricycles using the national road.
In 2007, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued Memorandum Circular 2007-01, which states that “tricycles are not allowed to use national highways. However, an exemption through a resolution can be granted if there is no alternative route.”
“Magko-comply tayo roon sa memo ng DILG na kung walang alternate route, kailangan may resolution ka para payagan sila doon sa bagong ruta at makatawid sa national road (We will comply with the memo of the DILG that if there is no alternate route, you should have a resolution to allow them there in the new route and cross the national road),” San Diego said in an interview Tuesday.
The MMDA has ceased apprehending tricycles along Katipunan and concentrated on tricycle drivers who violated other road rules.
San Diego said the TWG will be composed of DPOS, MMDA, Department of Public Works and Highways, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, TODAs and representatives of Parents and Teachers Association of schools along Katipunan Avenue.
The TWG is tasked to find alternate route where the tricycles can still use Katipunan Avenue without traversing the whole stretch of the road.
“Dapat papasok sila (tricycles) sa looban. Liliko sila sa E. Abada St. hanggang sa dumating sa dulo, at saka lang tatawid sa tapat ng Ateneo at Miriam. ‘Yun lang ang route nila (They should enter the inner roads. They will make a U-turn in E. Abada St. until they reach the tip and then drive across Ateneo and Miriam),” San Diego said.
The DPOS head added that the TWG should be formed by the first week of July and the City Council has already passed the necessary resolution.
“May resolution ang Council ngayon. Supporting document ‘yon dito. ‘Pag may TWG na kami, kailangan mayresolution na sa Sangguniang Bayan (The City Council has a resolution now. That’s supporting document for this. If we already have the TWG, the City Council should already have a resolution on this),” he said.
San Diego noted the resolution includes exemption to tricycles that ferry students to schools whose gates are facing other national roads, such as Commonwealth Avenue and E. Rodriguez Avenue, to cater students.
“This time, mas magiging mahigpit ang DPOS. ‘Pag sinabing ito lang ang ruta niyo, ito lang. Ile-lay down namin ‘to, susundin niyo ‘to (This time, the DPOS will be stricter. If it’s stated that this is only the route, it’s only this. We’ll lay this down, you’ll comply with this),” he said. (PNA)
