In order to alleviate traffic congestion, Mayor Isko Moreno is set to remove around 300 electric tricycles from the streets of Manila.
“We will pull them out (because they) generate chaos. Ang kawawa mga jeepney drivers, bukod sa traffic at magulo, kawawa ang jeepney driver kasi sila nagbabayad ng franchise (It’s unfair to the jeepney drivers because in addition to the traffic these vehicles cause, they pay for a franchise while these electric tricycles don’t),” Moreno told reporters on the sidelines of the Metro Manila mayors’ meeting at the MMDA.
In a report by The STAR, Moreno said that jeepney drivers are losing income since commuters prefer to ride e-tricycles ever since they were allowed to operate in Manila by former Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Moreno said that unlike public utility vehicles that have acquired franchises to legitimately operate, e-trikes plying the city streets are not regulated by the city government.
The decision came after Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danilo Lim’s request to address the prevalence of e-bikes that are plying major thoroughfares.
“Sabi kasi ni Chairman Lim na bigyan ng atensyon ang mga e-bikes kasi kung saan-saan lang sila (Chairman Lim said to pay attention to e-trikes since they’re just operating anywhere),” he said. – With Robertzon Ramirez/STAR
