281 tricycle drivers granted 3-year city franchise

By Juliane Judilla

Tricycle operators and drivers gathered at the Session Hall of Iloilo City Hall to celebrate the approval of their franchise applications, allowing them to operate on various routes within the city.

In line with the city’s Tricycle Route Plan, proposed by City Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, a total of 281 tricycle drivers took their oath before Councilor Romel Duron during the 37th regular session of the Iloilo City Council on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

The franchise grants cover several routes across the city:

• Route JA-5: Fifty-two units will operate from the entrance of the GMA complex to the interior roads of Alta Tierra Subdivision and Villa Las Palmas, up to the corner of the Alta Tierra entrance.
• Route JA-4: Forty-seven units will cover the route from the entrance of Metropolis Subdivision, crossing Coastal to the interior roads of Barangay Bito-on and the Bito-on Relocation Sites.
• Route LA-5: Forty-two units will run from Barangay Railway Terminal to the interior roads of Brgy. Railway, Mabini Street, Huervana, Caingin, Ticud, San Isidro, Banuyao, and La Paz, Iloilo City.
• Route JA-6: Twenty-one units will cover the route from the corner of EL 98 to the interior roads of Barangay Libertad, Fajardo, Cuartero, Arguelles, crossing Lopez Jaena Street to San Roque and Simon Ledesma.
• Route MA-2: Thirty-five units will operate from Oñate de Leon to Barangay Sooc, Calajunan, and Glory’s Ville Subdivision in Mandurriao.
• Route LA-4: Sixty-two units will cover the route from Barangay Railway Terminal to the interior roads of Brgy. Railway, Mabini Street, Huervana, Baldoza, and Ingore, La Paz.
• Route MA-3: Twenty-two units will run from Oñate de Leon to Mandurriao Cemetery, Forest Lake, Calajunan, and the Iloilo City-Oton boundary in Mandurriao.

All units are permitted to operate vice versa on their respective routes, except on roads classified as national highways.

Before franchise approval, personnel from the Iloilo City Traffic and Transportation Office, along with members of the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations of Arevalo and Jaro districts, conducted inspections in compliance with City Regulation Ordinance No. 2024-116, also known as the Tricycle Franchising and Regulation Ordinance.

This ordinance outlines the requirements for operation, routes, unit capacity, and other guidelines.