BACOLOD CITY – The city government has required all concerned barangays to submit a list of their accredited electric bicycles (e-bikes) and tricycles (e-trikes) operators by Friday for the issuance of the authority to operate in their respective barangays, ahead of the resumption of apprehensions next week.
In a statement, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the city aims to finalize the list which will serve as the basis for the issuance of temporary licenses or permits that are color-coded for easy identification.
“The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) will apprehend e-bikes or e-trikes without the proper permits to ensure the safety of both commuters and drivers,” he said.
Benitez reminded the village chiefs to abide by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2020-036, which prohibits tricycles, pedicabs, and motorized pedicabs from operating on national highways.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said in an earlier statement that in cases where there are no alternative routes available and as a last resort, local government units (LGUs) through their respective councils, may issue an exception.
This is in compliance with the Land Transportation Office’s Memorandum Circular 94-199 issued 1994, which sets the guidelines on the devolution of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board's franchising power over tricycles-for-hire to LGUs, pursuant to the Local Government Code.
In a separate statement, BTAO head Patrick Lacson said that after the one-month grace period for apprehension that ended Friday, the weekend will serve as a “warning period,” when the agency checks the routes and registration papers issued by the city.
“For the issuing of citation tickets, I decided to give them until Monday,” he said. PNA