Magna Carta of tricycle drivers gets House nod

WAITING Tricycles line up to wait for passengers at a mall in Calasiao, Pangasinan. They hope the cash aid from the government will ease their plight. —RAY B. ZAMBRANO

MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to protect the rights and welfare of tricycle drivers and operators has been approved on the third and final reading at the House of Representatives.

During the session on Wednesday, House Bill No. 11227—a consolidation of six bills—was approved after 180 lawmakers voted in the affirmative, with no one objecting or abstaining.

Under the bill, local government units (LGUs) would be required to “pursue and implement a comprehensive, rights-based, participatory and gender-responsive framework for members of the tricycle sector under a Comprehensive Development Plan.”

The plan, the proposal states, shall include the following:

• Putting in place policies and programs that shall bring members of the tricycle sector to the economic and social mainstream
• Pursuing structural reforms in all relevant levels of LGUs by creating committees, and special offices for the development and protection of workers in the tricycle sector and supporting representational rights through their organizations
• Extending coverage of accessible and affordable social security and health care benefits to workers in the tricycle sector
• Exacting responsibility on the part of the tricycle sector members to promote and ensure the convenience, safety, and security of the riding public and stakeholders in the sector, and the protection of the environment

READ: LTO catches 23 tricycle drivers violating ‘no plate, no travel’ policy

LGUs would also be required to open a one-stop shop that will handle transactions related to tricycle operations, like the processing of the Motorized Tricycle Operators Permit (MTOP).

“All LGUs shall establish a Tricycle Sector One-Stop Shop [that] shall handle all transactions and processing of the business permit applications within their respective jurisdictions,” the bill read.

“The One-Stop Shop shall ensure that the processing of the MTOP of the members of the tricycle sector shall commence on the day of their application and the registration shall be released within thirty-six (36) hours upon submission of the complete requirements,” it added.

Aside from these, the government will also be required to support the tricycle sector while protecting their rights, such as:

• right to self-organization, to collectively negotiate with government and other entities in the promotion of their welfare and advancement of interests free from any political interference or favor
• right to informed participation in decision-making processes relevant to the other concerns of their sector through their legitimate organizations
• access to medical care services and insurance
• freedom from any form of discrimination, violence, exploitation, or harassment
• freedom from deprivation of property without valid cause and due process of law
• equal access to information on how to safeguard their rights according to law
• safe working conditions
• protection from any act of interference, coercion, extortion, and bureaucratic red tape in the exercise of their rights