ILOILO City – Habitual tricycle violators in Iloilo City may soon face stiffer penalties, including the confiscation of their sidecars, as the Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) moves to tighten enforcement against illegal operations that continue despite repeated apprehensions.
The proposed measure comes after city traffic authorities found that many unauthorized tricycle and e-trike operators simply pay fines and return to the streets, undermining efforts to enforce transport regulations and improve road safety.
TTMO chief Uldarico Garbanzos said the office is pushing amendments to City Regulation Ordinance No. 2024-116 to impose tougher sanctions on repeat offenders.
“We have observed that some violators have already been apprehended five times. They simply pay the fines and return to operating again,” Garbanzos said.
Under one proposal, operators repeatedly caught violating the law could permanently lose their sidecars.
“One proposal is that after two or three apprehensions, the sidecar may be confiscated and only the motorcycle unit will be returned to the owner,” he explained.
According to Garbanzos, the proposed penalty aims to stop the cycle of repeated violations committed by colorum and illegally operating tricycle drivers who continue to ply city routes despite previous apprehensions.
Since last year, TTMO has recorded between 1,000 and 1,500 apprehensions involving unauthorized tricycles and e-trikes, including units operating along major roads where they are prohibited.
Many of the violators, Garbanzos said, operate in the City Proper district, prompting continuous enforcement operations to improve road safety and ensure compliance with the city’s Local Public Route Transport Plan.
“Our operations are continuous because we want to prevent accidents and address unauthorized competition within established transport routes,” he said.
Aside from proposing stricter penalties, TTMO is also reviewing regulations governing the construction and use of tricycle sidecars, saying clearer standards are needed to strengthen enforcement and enhance public safety.
The city government is likewise evaluating requests for new and expanded tricycle routes.
Garbanzos said TTMO recently met with tricycle operators to discuss possible route developments, which will be evaluated before being endorsed to the City Council for approval.
“This effort is part of the city’s drive to reduce colorum operations and ensure that tricycles and e-trikes are properly regulated,” he said.
Under the city’s Tricycle Franchising and Regulation Ordinance, operators are required to stay within the routes authorized under their franchises. Iloilo City currently has 2,667 franchised tricycle units organized under 35 Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations serving 33 approved routes./PN
