Committee Chairperson on Transportation and Energy Datu Ariel S. Macla encouraged the city council to study and regulate the fabricators of tricycle sidecars in the city.

According to Macla, the uncontrolled production of tricycle sidecars is one of the causes of increasing colorum tricycles in the city.

In his privilege speech, Datu Macla shared that there are around 5-10 fabricators in the city and based on their research, the shops can produce a minimum of 5 sidecar units and can even reach up to 10 units a year.

“Given these numbers, the establishments may be collectively producing around 50-60 units every year. And none of these would mind halting their fabrication, as they are earning a very good payment from their customers, amounting to P35,000 to P55,000 per sidecar unit,” Macla said.

He further stressed that having additional units would contribute to the traffic congestion, thus a prompt course of action must be taken to improve the traffic situation in the city.

To resolve the issue and study the proposed regulation, a joint committee was formed composed of the Committee on Transportation and Energy, and Committee on Tourism, Trade & Industry, and Socio-cultural chaired by Councilor Dizon P. Namuag.

At present, the Traffic Management Unit (TMU) under the Peace and Order Section of the City Mayor’s Office continues to apprehend colorum drivers and other traffic violators. Since the implementation of the Revised Traffic Code last June, the TMU has apprehended ninety-three (93) colorum drivers.

Moreover, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) have recently authorized a team from the TMU last July 25 as LTO-deputized agents. With this, traffic violators will be issued a Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP) and will face higher penalties based on the LTO policy.