Expect More Crackdown on Colorum Tricycles in Iloilo City

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan and Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The head of the Iloilo City Traffic and Transportation Management Office (TTMO) warned on Thursday, June 19, of intensified clearing operations targeting unregistered tricycles operating without valid franchises.

TTMO head Uldarico Garbanzos said their first operation, conducted in coordination with the Public Order and Safety Management Office (POSMO), resulted in the impoundment of 25 vehicles along Lopez Jaena Street in Molo district.

These included 16 e-trikes, seven tricycles, one trisikad, and one Angkar2 motorcycle-powered cargo vehicle, in violation of City Regulation Ordinance No. 2024-116 or the Tricycle Franchising and Regulation Ordinance.

The team also clamped eight to 10 vehicles illegally parked in no-parking zones in the same area.

Garbanzos said the operation was a strong message to colorum operators that they should not be on the road.

“When we arrived, they were overwhelmed by our presence and quickly disappeared from sight,” he said.

He added that several units turned back upon seeing the joint TTMO-POSMO operation, which involved a significant number of personnel.

Garbanzos encouraged operators without franchises to apply for the remaining available slots.

“If they won’t apply, sooner or later, we can still go after them and impound them,” he warned.

“I emphasized that there are still open slots, so they should apply, because if they don’t, we’ll eventually catch them operating without franchises and Motorized Tricycle Operators Permits.”

CRO No. 2024-116 requires tricycle drivers and operators to have valid franchises and limits them to operating only within authorized routes.

Section 9 of the ordinance imposes fines of no less than PHP1,000 for those operating without the required franchise or permit.

Drivers who fail to pay fees and traffic fines or operate outside their authorized areas also face a minimum PHP1,000 fine and possible franchise revocation.

Garbanzos also said that some legally franchised drivers reported threats and harassment from colorum operators during the operation.

“These areas will be our priority to show them we are serious about this campaign,” he said.

He called on all motorists and drivers to follow regulations, emphasizing that similar operations will expand to other parts of the city in the coming weeks.

According to TTMO, 2,667 tricycle units currently hold valid franchises under 35 Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associations operating across 33 routes in Iloilo City.