Colorum Tricycles Continue to Pose Big Headache in Dagupan

Dagupan City (PNA) — Colorum tricycles plying along the roads here 24/7 will continue to pose as a big headache in the city during the second term of office of Mayor Belen Fernandez.

This was bared by Carlito Ocampo, chief of the City Action Service Office (CAST), an office assisting the Public Order and Service Office (POSO), noting that there are now 3,000 tricycles plying in the city but only 2,500 are legally operating.

The rest of the tricycles or 500 units are colorums as they have no franchise nor were issued a mayor’s permit,

Ocampo said the legally-operating tricycles have stickers and easily identifiable control numbers for the protection of their passengers in case they unknowingly left their belongings, which the colorum ones do not have.

He cited police statistics showing that most colorum tricycles were being used in criminal activities.

Thus, Ocampo is urging the riding public not to patronize the colorum tricycles whose owners are difficult to identify, especially at night.

Passengers riding on colorum tricycles are practically at their own risk as the owners of the same do not have any legal responsibility whatsoever to their riders.

However, owners of colorum tricycles are appealing to the city government to increase the number of allowable tricycles in the city from 2,500 to 3,000 to legalize their operations.

POSO as well as CAST continue to crack down on colorum tricycles as long as there is no legislative fiat that would increase the number of tricycles to be given their respective franchises.

The colorum tricycles not only help clog the streets but are also competing with those who obtained their franchise to operate.

The fines for operating colorum tricycle under a standing city ordinance is P1,000 for the first offense, P3,000 for the second offense and impounding of the unit for the third offense. (PNA) LAM/LVMICUA/RMA