Tricycle drivers to get aid if dads OK proposed budget — Chan

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan assures tricycle drivers affected by fuel price increase that aid will come but only after proposed 2022 budget will be approved by City Council. | Futch Anthony Inso

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan promised to assist tricycle drivers, who were affected by the continued increase in the price of petroleum products.

Tricycle drivers in the city are appealing to the mayor for assistance since their capacity is only limited to 2 to 3 passengers.

Chan assured tricycle drivers that the city would assist them, however, they would still have to wait until the proposed 2022 annual budget would be approved by the city council.

“Wala ta’y mga pagkulang sa atong mga tricycle drivers. Naghatag ta nila og mga ayuda, naghatag ta nila og mga relief goods, naghatag ta nila og financial assistance. Naa na, first time na sa mga kapunongan sa atong mga tricycle drivers,” Chan said.

(We don’t have any shortcomings to our tricycle drivers. We gave them assistance, we gave them relief goods, we gave them financial assistance. That is there, it is a first time for the organization of our tricycle drivers.)

Aside from this, Chan said that he also requested the city council to already allow tricycle drivers to operate in full capacity for their passengers who could ride their vehicle.

However, by allowing them to operate in full capacity, Chan said that he also proposed to decrease the fare of tricycles to ease the burden of the riding public, who were also affected by the domino effect of oil price hikes, especially that the country was still in a pandemic due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

From a minimum fare of P15 to P20, Chan wants to reduce the tricycle’s fare to P10.

“Singgit karon sa katawhan ang pagpaubos sa presyo sa pletehan. Pero mao sad nay atong timbang-timbangon kay nimahal man sad ang presyo sa gasolina ug krudo,” he added.

The public’s call today is to lower the fare. But we should also balance it because the prices of gasoline and diesel had also gone up.)

Chan said that since the tricycle fare matrix was implemented through an ordinance, then the city council would need to pass another ordinance to amend the existing fare of tricycles.

But since the city council has not passed yet the proposed 2022 annual budget, Chan said that they could not entertain yet another topic in their sessions within this month.

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