KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/15 January) — In a bid to keep pace with the area’s development,
the city government is set to release 4,230 new tricycle franchises or Motorized Tricycle Operator’s Permit (MTOP) to local operators this year.
City Councilor Floro Calixton, chair of the council’s committee on transportation, said such move was based on the recent approval by the city council of a resolution authorizing the issuance of new
tricycle franchises to augment public transport services within the city.
Since 1993, he said the local government issued a total of 7,770 tricycle franchises but about half of such number is so far inactive.
Most of the issued franchises were either cancelled due to some violations or had expired and the owners did not renew them, he said.
Citing data from the city’s franchising office, Calixton said at least 3,791 MTOPs in the area are presently considered active.
“Since our population is presently at 161,662, only one tricycle is available for every 43 passengers here,” he said.
Koronadal, which is a component city and capital of South Cotabato province, is the regional seat and center of Region 12 or the Soccsksargen Region.
It also hosts several government and private colleges and universities as well as three shopping malls.
“We need to issue additional MTOPs to serve the increasing number of commuters and visitors that are doing business in the city,” Calixton said.
The official said a number of tricycle operators and drivers in the city have been also requesting for the issuance of additional MTOPs.
Calixton said the acceptance of applicants for the additional MTOPs will be on a first-come, first-served basis and the total application that would be accommodated by the local government will be limited to
6,700 units, including those already active.
For his part Mayor Peter Miguel said the opening of the new MTOPs would facilitate the implementation of the city’s Tricycle Coding Ordinance, which would classify tricycles in the area through a color-coding scheme.
He said the implementation of the ordinance would eventually help clear the city of illegal or “colorum” tricycles. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)