DILG Bans Tricycles From National Highways

Tricycles are notorious for hogging national highways, refusing to let trucks, cars, and buses overtake, causing a long line of traffic behind them. This may soon be a thing of the past. 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has called on local government units to ban tricycles and pedicabs along national highways in a memorandum issued on February 17.

The tiny three-wheeled vehicles are officially banned "on national highways utilized by four-wheel vehicles greater than four tons and where normal speeds exceed 40 kilometers per hour," according to Memorandum 2020-036. Even crossing and U-turns will not be allowed; all for safety reasons, adds the document.

"Matagal na nating ipinagbabawal ang mga tricycles at pedicabs sa national highway ngunit ang daming pasaway. Hindi lang ito nakakasagabal sa daan kundi nagiging sanhi ng sakuna sa kalye," said Eduardo Año, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary, in a statement.

To make sure the ban is actually implemented, the memo also calls for the creation of local task force groups separate from the regulatory boards already in place. These groups will be in charge of giving the trikes new routes that they can use. Awareness campaigns on the new rule and routes, plus road safety and other necessary information will also be organized.

This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.