Trike ban on major roads remains

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) stood pat on its earlier decision to completely ban tricycles from plying major thoroughfares.

MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia said there is no valid and acceptable reason to change the policy just to make it appear the MMDA, under the chairmanship of Danilo Lim, is a tricycle-friendly government agency.

He stressed the issue behind is the safety of the commuters who use tricycle as a mode of transportation.

Garcia said the trike ban is still in effect along Edsa from Pasay City to Monumento Caloocan City; Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City; Marcos Highway from Pasig City up to Cainta; Roxas Boulevard from Manila to Pasay City, and several others because all these are only good for bigger vehicles.

The issue to revise the old policy came after the discovery of the agreement among the MMDA, Department of Transportation and the Quezon City local government to allow tricycles to traverse Katipunan Road.

Garcia said the agreement was made while the Quezon City is looking for an alternate route that is safe for the tricycle.

He said the lifting of the ban on Katipunan Road was done based on the appeal by the tricycle operators and drivers because the policy denied them their only source of income.