P2P buses, e-trikes take over from tricycles on Katipunan

Point to point buses and electric tricycles have been deployed on Katipunan Avenue after the Inter-agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) apprehended tricycles plying the national road.

According to Saleema Refran's report on Balitanghali, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and I-ACT launched the "Ikot Alalay" buses on Wednesday morning.

Several tricycle drivers were apprehended during I-ACT's operation on Katipunan Avenue on Tuesday.

Tricycles are prohibited by law to use national roads like Katipunan Avenue.

"Kasi kung sa tricyle kami sasakay, diretso na kami sa eskwelahan, sa harapan ng eskwelahan. So dito po bababa kami diyan, maglalakad pa kami, so malaking abala sa amin," said a mothers, who was accompanying her child to school.

As a temporary solution, four P2P buses will ply the Katipunan route. The LTFRB said that the routes would be adjusted to the destination of students.

"Ito po ay Katipunan-Ikot, kaya lang po may estudyante tayo, lalagpas taypo dun, ihahatid po muna natin ang mga bata sa eskwela," said Joel Bolano, head of the Technical Division of LTFRB.

The buses will charge P12, but only P8 for students.

Twenty e-tricycles have also started operating as a temporary measure, the report added.

The tricycles can take up to eight passengers, and will take students straight to school.

The rides are free of charge.

Department of Public Order and Safety enforcers are the ones to operate the e-tricycles.

However, they will only be operating in the mornings, and only until Friday, as I-ACT and the city government look for a more permanent solution.

In the meantime, tricycles that quickly pass through Katipunan won't be apprehended as long as they don't overload and only carry up to 3 passengers.

"For the meantime, habang wala pang solusyon, talagang patatawirin natin yan, pero kailangan iregulate at controlin namin para di delikado para sa mananakay at saka sa operator ng tricycle," said DPOS-QC chief retired Gen. Elmo San Diego.

I-ACT cracked down on the tricycles after noticing the increasing number of them passing through national roads and functioning as school services while overloaded. —Jessica Bartolome/NB, GMA News