The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has clarified that tricycles and pedicabs are still prohibited from plying national highways in areas under general community quarantine and modified general community quarantine.
In a statement, DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya said that tricycles and pedicabs have already been banned from traversing major roads before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“Nililinaw po ng DILG na bawal pa rin ang tricycles at pedicabs sa national highways kahit pa nasa GCQ o MGCQ level na ang ilang lokalidad. Bago pa man magsimula ang pandemya ng COVID-19 corona ay ipinagbabawal na ito ng batas para na rin sa kaligtasan ng publiko,” he said.
The DILG said that apart from Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code, prior DILG directives have already been issued prohibiting the operation of tricycles and pedicabs on national roads and prescribing the operating conditions and franchising of tricycles.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that tricycles and ‘padyaks’ should only be allowed on secondary roads.
“Pinapayagan lamang po ang operasyon ng tricycles sa secondary roads at ipinag-uutos na ng Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) ang one-passenger, no-back ride policies sa lahat ng GCQ at MGCQ areas,” he said.
Año reiterated the pronouncement of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that mayors may not give authorization in allowing back ride in GCQ and MGCQ localities in line with the directive of the IATF.
“Ibayong pag-iingat pa rin po ang ipinapatupad kahit pa GCQ o MGCQ na. Batid man ng gobyerno ang daing sa transportasyon ay kailangang manguna pa rin ang pagsunod sa physical distancing at iba pang health safety protocol dahil hindi pa naman po nawawala ang banta ng COVID-19. ‘Di pa tayo puwedeng maging kampante,” Año said.
“Ang pamamasada ng tricycles sa secondary roads ay konsiderasyon sa mga tricycle drivers na nakasalalay ang kabuhayan dito subalit kailangang sundin ang mga pag-iingat na bahagi na ng ating ‘new normal’,” he added.
Meanwhile, Año, during President Duterte’s public briefing on Friday, reiterated that backriding on motorcycles is still prohibited, citing health protocols.
“Naiintidihan po natin yung hirap pero base po sa panuntunan ng DOH, ‘yung minimum health standards na physical distancing, napakahirap i-practice sa motor. At kahit pa sabihin natin na sila ay mag-asawa o magkapatid, pero ang virus ay walang pinipili kung mag-asawa,” Año said.