BACOLOD City – Starting today, the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) will apprehend tricycle drivers who are violating Republic Act (RA) 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
BTAO head Superintendent Luisito Acebuche said the move is in line with a memorandum that Land Transportation Office Region 6 director Roland Ramos issued on July 3.
The memorandum directed all traffic management units in Western Visayas to strictly implement RA 4136, which regulates the registration and operation of motor vehicles and the licensing of their owners, dealers, conductors, and drivers.
Acebuche said his personnel will focus on the roads in barangays Sum-ag, Bata and Mansilingan.
There are many erring tricycle drivers there, he added.
Among those that they will arrest are tricycle drivers who have more than four passengers.
Acebuche said a tricycle must only carry five persons, including the driver.
Drivers of electric tricycles, or “e-trikes,” will also be arrested. They are not yet allowed to ply the roads of Bacolod, according to Acebuche.
Meanwhile, the BTAO head once again appealed for the public’s understanding regarding the heavy traffic in the city’s main roads.
There are around 93,000 vehicles stuck in traffic in the city during peak hours, Acebuche said.
He added that the traffic jam is due to the ongoing road repair projects in barangays Alijis, Mansilingan and Taculing.
There is also an ongoing flood control project along Lacson Street.
Acebuche said he has already coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The road repair projects may be completed this month while the flood control project, in October, the DPWH told him./PN
