The tricycle fare increase in Tagum City

sept 19

The City Legal Officer Roland Tumanda made the inevitable reason loud and clear to quell murmurs around on the possibillity of holding in abeyance the present P7 motorcycle fare since prices of oil products have been already decreasing over the last two weeks. The increased P10 fare will continue for Tagum City despite the price rollbacks.

Since it’s the Tagum City Federation of Tricycle Transport and Services Cooperative (Tafettrasco) that would be benefited, its act of volunteering to distribute the taripas is a just a natural reaction knowing that tricycle drivers and operators have then been losing when gasoline prices were still about a double of the January price level, as well as due to the unfair competition posed by the colorum habal-habals which have been snatching their passengers in the city’s streets during sunny days.

“Unless the ordinance is amended,” Atty. Tumanda said to belabor a point that the fare could still be decreased to attune with current oil prices.

It’s good that there seems to be a quick price reflex now in the country’s deregulation regime in the oil industry but this positive news about price rollback is so scarce vis-avis the many instances of price increase.

We hope there will also be quick reflex mechanism in our local legislation. It seems to us that on the average it would take us one month and a half to two months before legislation is finally implemented after passing through the local and provincial legislative processes. But we start to count on the date of approval of the ordinance. In particular, the city ordinance on fare increase was unanimously enacted last July 28 and if taripas would be issued today, it takes us a total of one month and 21 days to have it implemented.

However, the delay on this fare increase ordinance seems to occur at the provincial level.

Nevertheless, despite what appear as discreet dilatory processes occurring at the provincial level for this piece of legislation, the city councilors who all voted yes to the ordinance should still be congratulated- for increasing fare at a time of decreasing oil prices. Thanks for the delay.  (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: tagum city, tagum city hall, tagum city councilors, tagum councilors, tagum, atty. tumanda, councilor joey millan, councilor francisco remitar, mylene baura, councilor alfredo pagmilao, councilor suaybaguio, councilor allan zulueta, mayor rey uy, tagum tricycle fare increase, atty. tumanda tagum

NEWS: More noises vs new LTO helmet policy

Sept 2

LTO, DTI not synchronized- Zulueta
Helmet panic buying reported
Money-making of Arroyo administration?- Millan

More noises have been heard slamming the Land Transportation Office’s new national policy on single motorcycles as improper and its fine and penalty provisions as exorbitant such as the violation in not wearing a prescribed helmet carries a fine of P1,500 compared to the P150 fine imposed  in the city’s helmet ordinance.

Councilor Allan Zulueta has called on for the city government to register its objection against the Dept. Of Transportation and Communication-LTO AO No. AHS-2008-015 which prescribes the new rules for the use and operation of motorcycles on highways.

Under the new policy, failure of the driver and/or the passenger or back rider to wear the standard helmet would have him fined P1,500 as against the present P150 local fine.

The “standard helmet” is defined as a protective helmet approved by the Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI) with PNS-UNECE 22 marking, a presumably hard and tested type that could protect the head on strong impact.

Zulueta said that obviously the LTO and DTI have not yet synchronized their moves in enforcing the new LTO policy even as he reiterated that LTO failed to consult local government units in making such policy that has reportedly triggered an ongoing panic buying of helmets by motorcycle owners in the city.

Though the controversial administrative order was issued last May 15 pursuant to Executive Order 292, but LTO officer Marietta M. Piccio bared on Monday that while the new AO’s fines are already ready in LTO computerized system there is still a “hold order” on its implementation pending the final resolution of LTO’s national board on contentious issues this week.

Also, Nelly Esperanza, chief of consumer welfare and trade regulations division of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao del Norte provincial office, said that the helmet prescribed in the AO is still and “optional product” and is being subjected to consultations at present considering the oppositions they received in the Internet.

She advised though motorcycle owners to buy the helmet with International Commodity Clearance (ICC) marking.

Councilor Francisco Remitar, on the other hand, raised an alarm over the possibility that in the ongoing panic buying of helmets he witnessed in malls and stores in the city, motorcycle owners might end buying two or more unprescribed helmets.

He urged the LTO and DTI to immediately advise store owners selling helmets to only sell the prescribed ones.

He said that with the new LTO policy, there is more tendency to corruption.

Councilor Raymond Joey Millan, in questioning the LTO representative  during last Monday’s session, also raised a query as to whether this latest LTO AO is a money-making scheme of the present administration.

“I guess you know what I mean?” Millan asked, to which Piccio refused to comment.

Councilor Joedel Caasi first blew the lid off last week over the new LTO policy that has now been sending shivers down the spines of motorcycle owners and drivers.

He said that the policy is “anti-poor” that could immediately apprehend driver s of skylabs and motorcycle-riding fish and pandesal vendors.

Caasi said that he first learned of the new LTO AO from photocopies alone and he already heard of LTO personnel from Davao City apprehending several motorcycle drivers in the city due to violations of said AO.

Aside from the existing traffic and motorcycle rules, the latest AO has a one backrider and no-cargo policy. Allowed is only the saddle bag or luggage carrier, which is defined as a DTI- approved built-in carrier of luggage in a motorcycle. Both carry a fine of P1,000.

Drivers must also not wear flip flops, sandals or slippers or drive bare-footed or be fined of P500, P700 and P1,000 and revocation of driver’s license for the first, second and third offenses, respectively.

For having defective accessories such as headlight, tail light, signal light, brake light, side mirror and horn has a fine of P1,000.00.

For modifying any part of the original designs of a motorcycle or scooter without approval of the LTO and the DTI has a fine of P2,000.00.

Several councilors said that the AO is inapplicable, improper and exorbitant of its fines, which according to Piccio will already go to national coffers and not to the city government. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: councilor allan zulueta, councilor allan zulueta, tagum sex scandal, um tagum sex scandal