MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Wednesday ordered local government units (LGUs) to strictly implement the ban on tricycles, pedicabs, and motorized pedicabs on national highways.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that aside from this, LGUs should also create a tricycle task force that will draw-up a route plan for tricycles and pedicabs in their respective areas.
“Local governments must review and modify tricycle routes according to the ban and are encouraged to include in their plans the construction of local roads or overpasses where the tricycles can operate,” he said.
Through DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-036, Año also directed that the tricycle task force should be separate from the tricycle regulatory boards of each city and municipality.
The task force will be composed of the mayor as the chairman and the chief of police as vice-chairman.
Meanwhile, the Sanggunian’s Committee chair on transportation or public safety, the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, the head of the tricycle regulatory board, the head of the Department of Public Order and Safety, the planning and development officer, the head of the traffic management office, and the local government operations officer will be its members.
Representatives of the local transportation departments and its attached agencies will function as resource persons of the task force, said Año, while the head of the city or municipal legal office is tasked to provide secretariat support.
Non-compliance to the order will warrant the issuance of a show-cause order, according to the DILG chief.
Año warns that failure to provide sufficient response will be a ground for the filing of appropriate administrative cases pursuant to Section 60 of the Local Government Code and other laws and policies.
According to Año, compliance with this order will be part of the assessment of LGUs on the implementation of the DILG’s order to clear roads of obstructions.