Transport and labor groups has questioned a memorandum of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that prohibits  tricycles to operate on national and main roads nationwide.

Members of the National Public Transport Coalition, led by the National Confederation of Tricycle and Transport Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines and Lawyers for Commuters Safety and Protection filed a Declaratory Relief petition at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, to oppose  the memorandum banning tricycles in national highways and major roads.

The petitioners were represented by their legal counsels, Lawyers Madel Ramos and Ariel Inton.

The said petition questions the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum 2020-036 which orders total ban and prohibition of tricycles in national highways and major roads nationwide.

The groups also asked to hold in abeyance the implementation of the DILG memorandum as they called for a moratorium on apprehensions against the ranks of tri-wheel drivers and operators.

They also aired out their fear that the said DILG policy will be used by the government to introduce Euro 4-compliant multicab units that will replace their tricycles in operating as public utility vehicles.

Defend Jobs Philippines expressed support to the demands of tricycle drivers for the sake of the protection of their livelihoods.

The group claimed that as tricycles consist 60 percent of the payers of Roads Users’ Tax amongst PUV’s, the government must stop repressing and attacking the livelihoods of poor and small tricycle operators and drivers across the country.

“We appeal for the government to show compassion and have some concern for our poor countrymen who rely their livelihoods in tricycles. These tri-wheel drives are the primary sources of income of these small tricycle drivers and operators to feed their families,” said Thadeus Ifurung, Defend Jobs Philippines spokesperson.

“This particular attack against this tri-wheel mode of transport adds-up to the growing number of anti-transport, anti-commuters and anti-poor policies being implemented by the government against the public transportation sector and the welfare of our riding public in general,” Ifurung also said./Stacy Ang