Tricycles in Tagbilaran City are still required to only take in a single passenger at a time as part of social distancing measures even as the entire province has been under modified general community quarantine, the least restrictive quarantine level, for over five months.

According to City Traffic Management Bureau (CTMO) chief Tony Samante, the one-passenger protocol for tricycles will remain until it is lifted by the national Inter-Agency Task Force through the Department of Transportation.

“Gikan g’yud na sa DOTr na recommendation sa IATF na all public utility vehicles naa g’yud social distancing apil na ang mga tricycle,” said Samante on Thursday.

The issue was tackled by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) amid calls from tricycle operators to allow them to return to the normal seating capacity of two to three persons.  

Samante said that the local government unit could issue a new order allowing tricycles to take in more passengers considering that it is the one issuing franchises to trike units.

“Kay naa may control ang LGUs sa tricycles kay kita may gahatag si franchise nila, tingali depende sa LGU og mo sugot ba sila sa mga hanyo na ibalik to ilang normal na pasahero,” Samante said.

The SP and local agencies may be conducting more meetings to discuss the issue and determine if the LGU can reverse the policy, he added.

However, Tagbilaran City Administrator Cathy Torremocha said that the LGU will continue to follow protocols set by the IATF.

Family members of the driver or operator are also still not allowed to go beyond the one-passenger limit.

Even senior citizens who have companions to assist them are also covered by the policy.

“Ang mga senior citizen na naay mo alalay, pwede sila mag-convoy. E-alalay daan ang senior citizen and the other one magsunod sa laing tricycle,” she said. (A. Doydora)