IMINUNGKAHI ng isang mambabatas na mapabilang sa online o app-based transportation and delivery services system ang mga kolorum na traysikel sa iba’t ibang lugar sa bansa.

Ito ay upang mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na makapaghanapbuhay nang legal.

Sa kanyang inihaing House Bill (HB) No. 8869, o ang Tricycle Act of 2022, binigyan-diin ni Laguna 1st Dist. Rep. Dan Fernandez na kinilala ang tricycle bilang mahalagang bahagi ng public transport kapwa sa mga urban at rural area kaya marapat lamang na gumawa ng hakbang ang estado na magsusulong sa kapakanan at pag-unlad ng mga operator at driver nito.

Aniya, hindi naman maikakaila na maraming traysikel ang ilegal o patago ang pamamasada, na tinatawag din na “colorum”, marahil sa pag-aasam ng operaytor o drayber nito na kumita para lamang may maipantustos sa gastusin ng kani-kanilang pamilya.

Kaya naman, sa kanyang inakdang panukalang batas, nais ni Fernandez na mapahintulutan ang colorum tricycles na legal na makapag-operate partikular sa ilalim ng app-based o online transportation and delivery services system.

“Inasmuch as the pandemic conditions have literally hurtled us into the digital future, this bill enables the owners or operators of colorum tricycle units to operate on-demand transportation (much like TNVS Grab and Uber) and delivery (similar to Lalamove, Grab and Food Panda deliveries) services using internet-based applications. This is a deemed to be a creative solution using technological innovations in order to address urgent social concerns,” paliwanag ng Laguna province lawmaker.

Sa ilalim ng HB 8869, ang isang colorum tricycle ay maaaring mag-apply sa local government unit na nakasasakop sa kanya at kung makapapasa sa itinakdang legal requirements ay bibigyan ng ‘authority to operate on-demand transportation and delivery services using internet-based application’.

Ang pagkakalooban ng nasabing otorisasyon, bagama’t walang magiging ‘fixed route’, ay mayroon lamang ‘limited zone, pre-arranged transportation o delivery services destination’ gamit ang internet-based technology application o digital platform technology kung saan nakakonekta ang tricycle drivers at customers.

“Operators of tricycles-for-hire shall employ only drivers duly licensed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO). Fares and charges are subject to approval by the appropriate regulatory agencies, online-enabled transportation and delivery services shall be allowed, upon petition, to impose reasonable fares and charges with sufficient mark-up to cover the cost of insurance, taxes, other fees and charges, and, insofar as delivery service units are concerned, the cost of delivery and handling,” ang nakasaad pa sa HB 8869.

Subalit paglilinaw ni Fernandez, hindi papayagan ang operator o app-based service provider na magkaroon ng ‘surge pricing o rate’.

Paglalahad pa ng kongresista, para sa tricycle owners na nais ipasok sa online-enabled transportation service ang kanilang unit/s, ang Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) ang siyang gagawa ng kaukulang Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) at sa tricycle na mag-o-operate bilang online-enabled delivery service, ang Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) at ang Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ang silang babalangkas ng IRR. (CESAR BARQUILLA)