FORMER Mayor Belen Fernandez said that if given the mandate to return to her old post, she will consider, together with the Sangguniang Panlungsod, the possibility of exempting tricycle drivers and operators from payment of fees when they renew their respective franchises this year.

She said such an exemption is deserved by the city’s tricycle drivers and operators having suffered a lot during the two-year pandemic as schools were closed, no passengers to transport.

“I pity the poor tricycle drivers and operators who practically survived with zero income during the pandemic and are now currently affected by the continued soaring price of diesel fuel, making it even more difficult to make both ends meet,” Fernandez said.

She said the city and people owe the tricycle sector that has been with us in any type of climate, doing their part for the good of the people of Dagupan.

To reciprocate their valuable contributions to the city and people, it is just timely to exempt them from paying fees whenever they are renewing their franchise, Fernandez added.

She also vowed to remove from the service all those involved in “kotong” not only those victimizing vendors but also those victimizing  tricycle and jeepney drivers.

Tricycle drivers were sad to inform Fernandez that with their just meager earnings, they have yet to set aside a few pesos in order to meet the demand of some “kotongeros”, and fear the consequences if they do not pay.

“The rampant “kotong” in the city was among the reasons that compelled me to stage a comeback to my old post,” Fernandez said. (Leonardo Micua)

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