Tearful tricycle driver in Pasig asks to be allowed to operate anew

After almost two months of the transport ban, tricycle drivers in Pasig City on Thursday appealed to the national government to allow them to operate once again under the modified enhanced community quarantine.

The Tricycle Operation and Regulation Office (TORO) of the Pasig City Government held a meeting with presidents of 89 tricycle operators and drivers associations (TODAs) in the city  to address their concerns, according to Mariz Umali's report on 24 Oras.

"Simula talaga ng lockdown wala talaga kaming pinagkukunang income kasi sa hirap...  kasi ng buhay, kaming tricycle driver doon lang kami umaasa ng pagkukunan namin," said tricycle driver Dionisio Fortadiz, president of VR TODA, as he fought back tears.

"Sa totoo lang hirap na hirap kaming tricycle driver's na totally iyong dumadating na tulong sa gobyerno, matagal bago namin makamit," he added.

Marcelo Sorreda, president of the United Pasig City Tricycle Operators Drivers Association, echoed his fellow driver's sentiments.

"Sobrang hirap sa aming mga tricycle driver dahil kami po talaga ang unang dinapuan ng hirap," he said.

"Sa pang araw-araw, doon po kasi kami kumukuha ng pang-gastos. Sana po payagan kami na kahit na paisa-isang pasahero lang," he added.

During the meeting, the local government and the tricycle drivers and operators tackled the problems they might encounter once they are allowed to ply the streets again.

"Ina-anticipate na namin 'yung magiging problema dahil nga may ilan nang pinayagan na makapag-trabaho,"  TORO head Volta Delos Santos said.

"So ang proposal po ni Mayor Vico Sotto ay ilapit na po sa national government, sa DOTr, na payagan na po sana ang mga tricycle na makabyahe," he added.

After the lockdown, only one passenger will be allowed inside a tricycle per trip as part of social distancing measures - down from the usual four to five - resulting in the drivers' earnings getting significantly slashed.

Due to this, the drivers and operators are seeking a fare hike from P8 to at least P18 per person to offset the losses they would incur from a limit in the number of passengers.

The tricycle drivers could also end up being allowed to operate twice a week, depending on the number coding.

"Ano ang dapat na i-propose na magiging pamasahe para hindi po malugo ang mga tricycle drivers at hindi ma-agrabyado ang mga pasahero dahil magiging isa na lang po kung saka-sakali ang magiging pasahero," Santos said.

"P18 to P20 po. Give and take po talaga 'to dahil kailangan nila ang serbisyo ng tricycle ay sana maintindihan nila na kailangan rin po kumita ng tricycle sa mga serbisyong ibibigay nila," he added. -MDM, GMA News