By Anna liza Cabrido/PNA
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The provincial government of South Cotabato has totally banned tricycles and pedicabs from plying along national highways.
South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said Monday she issued a memorandum to all 11 city and municipal mayors in the province to enforce the prohibition, which was based on an order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“It’s time for us to implement this properly as there had been numerous accidents already involving tricycles,” Fuentes said in an interview with reporters.
Fuentes said the provincial government received an order from the DILG to “clear our national highways of tricycles for safety reasons.”
Based on the DILG’s memorandum circular 2007-01, tricycles and pedicabs are prohibited to operate on “national highways utilized by four-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speed exceeds 40 kilometers per hour.”
The governor conceded that some mayors might have a different view on the tricycle ban being the main mode of public transportation in the province.
Still, Fuentes reminded local officials “to take the matter seriously since there is an administrative and criminal case that comes along with it.”
“We need to implement this order and take the initial steps of looking for alternative routes for tricycles,” she added.
She said local government units should initiate dialogues with tricycle drivers and operators, police and traffic management units to ensure strict implementation.
