Tricycle franchise released to operators, drivers

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (06 February 2014)  – Staying true to his words during the election campaign, City Mayor Ronnel Rivera recently approved 934 tricycle franchises with the supervision of the Land Transportation Office (LTO-GenSan), Land Transportation Office - 12, (LTO 12) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

On Wednesday (February 05), at the Oval Gymnasium, Mayor Rivera together with LTO- 12 Assistant Regional Director Manuel Betaizar, LTO-RO XII Chief Operation Division Head Rasid Romaob, LTO - Gensan Director Ishmael Almanza, City Mayor’s Office Business Permits and Licensing Division (CMO-BLPD) head Geraldine Zamora, and City Councilor Dominador Lagare III initially distributed 690 to qualified tricycle operators and drivers.

Aladino Bancali, a tricycle operator from Barangay Labangal echoed the sentiments of drivers and operators in the city who have been waiting for their franchise for a while now.

“September 2013 pa nako ni gi-applyan, naa na gyud sakong kamot,” Bancali exclaimed.

Bancali also commended the city mayor for finally releasing the franchise.

“Abi nako di tumanon ni Mayor Rivera ang iyang promise. Pero gihatag gyud niya ang mga prangkisa,” Bancali said.

All tricycle-for-hire applying for a Motorized Tricycle Operator’s Permit (MTOP) or “franchise” in GenSan must present the following requirements: proof of Filipino citizenship, certificate of registration from the LTO, sketched location of garage or residence and income tax return.

They are also required to adhere to the traffic rules of the city.

SP Ordinance No. 5, Series of 2013, pursuant to the local government code of 1991 (R.A. 7160), also set the standards and guidelines for the franchising of tricycle-for-hire in the city.

LTO GenSan Director Almanza also said that Mayor Rivera has ordered them to prioritize operators and drivers from General Santos City.

“It is one of the reasons why we defer some applications for MTOP because in the first place, they are not really from the city. They are from the neighboring areas of GenSan and are just making the city one of their travel routes,” Almanza said.

Mayor Rivera also bared that the city council “Ordinance No. 6 Series of 2013” established the color and size for all tricycle-for-hire in the city.

As stated in the ordinance, powder-blue will be the “official” color of all tricycles routing in GenSan.

Rivera also said that the city government is currently teaming up with the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) to create a schematic and comprehensive transportation plan in the city.

“All these and other future plans are to make sure that GenSan will have a smooth traffic system for the safety and convenience of the city,” Mayor Rivera said. (GENSAN INFO OFFICE/Ian John Lagare)