CITY Council committee on transport chairman Councilor Amos Rivera defended Tuesday, January 22, the Angeles City tricycle drivers over their rights to use national highways.
Rivera, in a privilege speech, defended over 5,000 members of the Federation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (Fedtoda) who attended the regular session of the Angeles City Council to voice out their sentiments regarding the alleged ban of tricycles to traverse the stretch of MacArthur Highway and other major thoroughfares pursuant to a letter by the Angeles City Traffic and Development Office (ACTDO) filed before the City Council.
The letter from ACTDO reported that the office is already implementing Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2007-01 that prohibits tricycles along the national highway and other major thoroughfares within the city.
"While there is no question as to the legality of DILG Memorandum Circular 2007-01, however, the prohibition against tricycles along the highway is not absolute because the said memorandum accepts exemption," Rivera said.
The two-term councilor authored the Angeles City Traffic Code of 2017 that provides under Section 37 therein for the application of a yellow lane, which is dedicated for all two and/or three-wheel vehicles along major thoroughfares including national highways.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año, in his previous interviews with media regarding the advisory, said tricycles can only traverse national highways if there are no alternate routes found. However, Año said they may only do so if allowed by either the City Council or Municipal Council.
Rivera reiterated that tricycles should be allowed to traverse MacArthur Highway and other major thoroughfares in Angeles City provided that they stay in the outer right lane of the road.
"The public road is not exclusive for the use of four-wheel vehicles only," the chairman of transport committee added. "For me, if we don't let the trikes pass through the highway, I think that is a violation of human rights."
After delivering his privilege speech, Rivera assured the Fedtoda that as long as he is in public service, he will fight for what is legal and most importantly he will defend what is morally right not only for their sector but also for all Angeleños. (RGN)