100 tricycle drivers protest vs Mandaue’s overloading policy

PIston members hold a protest rally in Mandaue City Monday morning. (PIA CEBU)

At least 100 tricycle drivers held a rally in front of the City Hall in Mandaue on Monday morning to protest against the strict implementation of “no overloading” policy.

The group first converged in Barangay Ibabao, and walked for 2 kilometers to City Hall where they held a rally for 30 minutes.

Greg Perez of the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) in Cebu, said the city’s move not to allow them to go beyond the passenger capacity of their tricycle would affect their revenues.

Jessie, a tricycle driver plying the interior roads of Barangay Opao, said the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (TEAM) had been apprehending drivers who put seats on the sidecar’s entrance since last week.

Passenger tricycles only has a capacity of five passengers – for inside the sidecar and another behind the driver.

But drivers usually put a seat near the entrance of the sidecar to allow one more passenger.

This violates the Ordinance No. 23 section 21 that limits the number of passengers of the tricycle.

Violators stand to pay P500 per violation.

In his FaceBook post, Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing said he was prepared to listen to the concerns of valid tricycle franchise holders.

“I will ask them why they are resisting our enforcement of our law to keep passengers safe? Now if you don’t have a franchise and are operating illegally in Mandaue AND protesting the enforcement of a law that intends to keep the riding public safe… we have nothing to talk about,” Quisumbing said on FB.