CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Regional Development Council (RDC) passed on Wednesday a resolution enjoining the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region III to deputize local government units (LGUs) in apprehension of tricycles traversing key national arterial roads.
“Department of the Interior and Local Government issued Memorandum Circular 2007-01 banning tricycles and pedicabs to operate on national highways utilized by four-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speed exceeds 40 kilometers per hour. The same directive prescribes the minimum standards to be adopted by city and municipal governments in the formulation of a regulatory code for tricycle and pedicab franchise operation that includes physical requirements/equipage, fares, load/capacity limit, and operating conditions,” RDC Vice Chairperson and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) OIC-Regional Director Agustin Mendoza said.
While the LGUs are empowered to regulate the operation of tricycles, enforcement and apprehension is under the jurisdiction of LTO as provided by Republic Act 4136 otherwise known as the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.
“Given the insufficient budget and shortage of personnel of LTO to monitor and enforce the law against erring tricycles plying along national roads, we deem it necessary that the LGUs be given the power to enforce the law in their respective jurisdictions,” Mendoza added.
RDC is the highest policy-making body in Central Luzon and serves as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level.
It is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region and serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.
Council members include all governors, city mayors, municipal mayors of capital towns, presidents of municipal mayors league, regional directors of national government agencies and representatives from the private sector. (CLJD-PIA 3)