[sustran] The Deterioration of Philippine Public Transportation System

[Roselle Leah K. Rivera]

‘Kuliglig’ drivers block traffic in Manila 
By Jaymee T. Gamil
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 18:37:00 12/01/2010

Filed Under: Protest, Road Transport
MANILA, Philippines—Protests on the ban on the kuliglig (motorized pedicabs) from Manila City’s major roads came to a head on Wednesday as hundreds of tired, hungry and angry drivers parked their vehicles in the middle of Padre Burgos St. in front of the city hall and blocked traffic at around noontime.
The implementation of Mayor Alfredo Lim’s Executive Order 17, banning all three-wheeled vehicles from major thoroughfares and national roads in the city started Wednesday. Parked or running, kuligligs near the 168 Mall and Legarda St., among many, were apprehended and, instead of being impounded, had their motors removed.Drivers of three motorized pedicabs who gave up and tried to drive away from the protest converging on Bonifacio shrine were met by police in Lawton Avenue. They pedaled back to the group minus their motors.The city hall had been particularly hard on the motorized pedicabs, claiming their motors could not be registered with the Land Transportation Office and thus freely flout environment and safety standards. The city government had advised the owners of the pedicabs to compromise by removing their motor and simply going back to manual-powered pedicabs.
In any case, Fernando Picorro, the spokesman of the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Pedicab at Kuliglig Drivers (Alliance of United Pedicab and Motorized Pedicab Drivers) said that, whether machine or manual-powered, E.O. 17 would rob pedicabs of their earnings, as most of them operated on major roads where most of passengers were. He, himself, has been plying the España-Legarda route, he said.
On Tuesday night, the drivers kept an overnight vigil and protest at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Intramuros. They had proceeded to the Manila City hall for a dialogue Wednesday morning, where city hall chief of staff Ricardo de Guzman met with them and gave the same response: the ban was still on in major roads. Tired, the drivers decided to converge at the Bonifacio Shrine. Some drivers, losing hope and getting agitated, started blocking Burgos Avenue despite pleadings from their leaders.
“The Supreme Court is our only hope, but even they seem to be sleeping on it,” Picorro said, referring to the petition for temporary restraining order Alnapedku filed last week against the ban.








  ROSELLE LEAH K RIVERA Faculty Department of Women and Development Studies College of Social Work and Community Development University of the Philippines Diliman Quezon City PHILIPPINES