[sustran] Re: URGENT: arrest of Jakarta pedicab activists

[Craig Townsend]

Not only in Jakarta are NMVs being pushed out! From the Manila Times 1 March 
2000 Internet Edition:

Atienza orders ban on pedicabs in Manila’s main thoroughfares

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza announced that starting today, city hall and 
police authorities will strictly enforce an ordinance banning pedi-cabs, 
both motorized and manually operated, from entering major thoroughfares in 
the city.

According to Atienza, the move is meant to ease the flow of traffic along 
the streets of Manila.

Among those declared as off-limits to pedicabs are the following:

First District—C.M. Recto Avenue, R-10 Road, Capulong St., H. Lopez Blvd., 
Tayuman St., Juan Luna St., Ilaya St. and Nicolas Zamora St.; Second 
District —C.M. Recto Ave., Jose Abad Santos Ave., Tayuman St., Solis St. and 
Juan Luna St.; Third District – C.M. Recto Ave., Rizal Ave., Aurora Blvd., 
Dimasalang St., Tayuman St., A.H. Lacson St., Oroquietta St., Felix Huertas 
St., Ma. Clara St., Laon Laan St., Soler St., Reina Regente, San Fernando 
St., Juan Luna St., Quintin Paredes St., Escolta, Dasmariñas St., Ongpin 
St., Tabora St., Ilaya St., G. Puyat St., R. Hidalgo St., Carriedo St., 
Quezon Blvd., Carlos Palanca St., Evangelista St., Gandara St., T. Alonzo 
St., Buenavidez St., Masangkay St., Andalucia St., and P. Casal St.

Fourth District—Dimasalang St., A.H. Lacson St., C.M. Recto Ave., Laon Laan 
St., Dapitan St., M. Dela Fuente St., V.G. Cruz St., Maceda St., J. Fajardo 
St., S.H. Loyola St., T. Earnshaw, Nicanor Reyes St., Legarda St., Ma. Clara 
  St., España and G. Tuazon St.; Fifth District—Roxas Blvd., Taft Ave., 
Quirino Highway, M.H. del Pilar, Mabini St., Adriatico St., Ma. Orosa St., 
Leon Guinto St., San Marcelino St., Soriano St., Magallanes Drive, J. Bocobo 
St., P. Burgos St., T.M. Kalaw St., U.N. Ave., Padre Faura St., Pedro Gil 
St., San Andres St., P. Ocampo St., Ayala Blvd., Arroceros St., Concepcion 
St., Romualdez St. and A. Francisco St.

Sixth District—Legarda St., R. Magsaysay Blvd., Mendiola St., J.P. Laurel 
St., Concepcion Aguila St., Pres. Quirino Ave., Nagtahan, Paz M. Guanzon 
St., Jesus St., Laura St., M. Carreon St., Old Sta. Mesa St., Valenzuela 
St., V. Mapa St., P. Sanchez St., New Panaderos St., C. Palanca St., Gen. 
Solano St., and Nicanor Padilla St.

He warned that those caught operating along major thoroughfares face a fine 
of P500 and a towing fee of P1,000.  The same fine and towing fee will also 
be imposed against the owners or operators of pedicabs caught operating 
without a valid permit issued by city hall.  Said pedicabs shall be 
impounded and will only be released after the owners have acquired the 
necessary operating permit.

We cannot just stand back and allow chaos to rule the streets,” Atienza 
said.

Atienza also said that while the city government is itself promoting the 
operation of pedicabs as a means of livelihood, this has to be strictly 
regulated.

Meanwhile the move of the Manila City Hall and police authorities to ban 
pedicabs and tricycles from major thoroughfares of the city drew praises 
from hundreds of thousands of motorists, drivers and commuters who are 
oftentimes caught in traffic jams caused by these slow-moving transport 
vehicles.

Lolita Marcial, a barangay official from Sta. Cruz and a secretary of a 
businessman, said pedicab and tricycle drivers don’t observe traffic rules.

“They even enter one-way streets and counter the flow of traffic and if you 
tell them they are wrong, they’ll even shout unprintable words at you,” 
Marcial said.

Manuel Aquino, Jr., an executive of a real estate firm, on the other hand, 
said it is high time that authorities should implement a long-existing 
ordinance designed to ease the flow of traffic.

“They should have done it long ago. But it is never too late,” Aquino said.

Lawyer Romeo Gonzales, who has to drive around Metro Manila to attend to his 
clients, said he was caught a number of times in the middle of a traffic jam 
caused by a slow-moving pedicab whose driver refused to give way to 
motorists.

The move of Mayor Atienza and police authorities to ban pedicabs and 
tricycles from main streets would definitely ease the traffic flow, Gonzales 
said.

Drivers of pedicabs and tricycles, as expected, reacted sharply to Atienza’s 
move. ¨
-- John Concepcion

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