SAYING he wants to set a model on how the improvised motorcycles (habal-habal) can be a legitimate industry, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is eyeing the construction of a terminal and the implementation of a food exchange program for the drivers.
During the City Council’s regular session last week, Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. proposed an ordinance granting the City Government the power and authority to issue local regulatory franchise to operators of habal-habal and tricycles in the city.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said the regulation of the drivers is ongoing as the City has been regulating it outside legislation.
“I don’t need his (Alcover) help. We’re organizing all the drivers and there has been a lot of consultations already. He’s riding on it. Were meeting with different groups and experimenting on two programs,” he said.
Projects
The two programs involve the construction of a habal-habal terminal near JY Square in Barangay Lahug and the introduction of a food-for-work program in mountain barangays.
Osmeña said the village’s heavy concentration of habal-habal and it’s “non-hostile” barangay officials, among others, are basic points of convenience.
As for the terminal’s operation, the mayor wants registered senior citizens living in the village to supervise the accreditation of drivers and the overall system.
With the elderly overseeing the everyday business, he said the former will be motivated to strictly enforce discipline and rules, such as making sure all drivers wear their numbered uniforms and prevent non-residents from participating as they know everyone in the barangay.
“It’s all up to them (seniors). They will also collect the fees so that they can have some little livelihood and nobody can accuse City Hall of making money,” Osmeña said.
Cooperative
The mayor is also mulling the creation of a small cooperative among the member-drivers of the terminal so that they can have funds to use for buying spare parts for their motorcycles.
Drivers who are in mountain barangays, on the other hand, can avail themselves of the food-for-work program.
This would mean that the City Government will subsidize the habal-habal drivers’ food and rice supply in exchange for transporting children whose schools are far from home.
“In areas like Barangay Sirao, they have to go uphill. Either way, there’s hardship because every sitio has a different topography. That’s why we’re having this program to help the kids and the drivers as well,” said Osmeña.
Aside from the two programs, the City will also work together with certain agencies that will host a seminar workshop for the habal-habal drivers on safe driving, motorcycle maintenance and how to properly change tires.
