Acting Malay mayor pushes total tricycle phase-out in Boracay

AKLAN, Philippines –  Malay acting town mayor Floribar Bautista has directed the Municipal Transportation Office to strictly implement the phase-out of old and gasoline-powered tricycles in Boracay Island and mainland Malay.

Bautista issued Executive Order No. 40 series of 2019 on November 11 enforcing the guidelines and policies on electric tricycles (e-trike) program.

“Kailangan may total phase out na ng mga tricycles sa Boracay Island mula November 19 hanggang December 31, 2019. Impound natin ang mga ito pag mahuli sa Enero at i-transport sa mainland Malay,” the acting mayor said.

(We must have a total phase out of tricycles in Boracay Island from November 19 to December 31, 2019. Starting January, we will impound these and send them to mainland Malay.)

Bautista said then former mayor Ceciron Cawaling issued Executive Order No. 007 on February 1, 2018 for the full implementation of e-trike program, but, the Sangguniang Bayan of Malay, Aklan requested Cawaling to suspend the implementation due to the temporary closure of Boracay.

“Nakapagdesisyon na tayo itong November 11 bago nag-apela ang ibang stakeholders. Mahigit na anim na taon na itong modernisasyon ng transport sa Boracay. Hindi natin dapat i-delay itong programa. May tricycle operators na hindi nag-renew ng kanilang franchises dahil alam nila matutuloy ang e-trike program,” he added.

(We have decided last November 11, before the appeal of other stakeholders. The transport modernization of Boracay has lasted 6 months already. Let us not delay this program. There were tricycle operators who did not renew their franchises because they were unsure if we would continue the e-trike program.)

The Municipal Traffic Code requires e-trike drivers and operators to secure franchises from the Municipal Transport and Franchising Regulatory Board (MTFRB) before they are allowed to operate.

They are required also to first secure the Community Tricycle Operator’s Permit (CTOP) from the Municipal Transportation Office.

MTFRB is headed by Malay municipal vice mayor Nino Carlos Cawaling and a Sangguniang Bayan member, who is the committee chairman on transportation, as MTFRB vice chairman.

The gradual replacement of conventional tricycles in Malay, Aklan was introduced in 2013 to promote cleaner and efficient vehicles, lessen noise pollution and develop environment-friendly mode of transport.

“Isa sa mga advantage ng e-trike project ay mabawasan ang problema natin sa environment, health at pollution. (Among the advantages of the e-trike project is it reduces our problems on the environment, health and pollution),” Bautista added. 

Around 300 e-trikes of BEMAC Transportation Philippines, Prozza Hirose Manufacturing, Star-8 Modelo Global Solutions Corporation, GerWeiss Motors Corporation and Tojo. Motors Corporation are currently operating in Boracay Island. – Rappler.com