THE Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Dagupan is recalling tricycle franchises held by non-residents of the city and has taken steps to ensure that the processing will not be marred by fixing or bribery.

A poster has been put up at the office of the SP Secretariat at the city hall warning would be fixers or attempts to bribe secretariat employees.

Since the start of the franchise renewal period on July 1, the SP has already processed and re-issued the franchise of some 300- tricycle operators. Eleven applicants were verified to be non-residents.

Under an existing ordinance, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, who sits as the SP chair, Dagupan is entitled to 2,500 tricycles but the city government is not inclined to fill in all the slots until after a survey to determine the real number of franchises needed to be issued has been completed.

Meanwhile, tricycle operators have pointed to a certain “Pato” whom they say has promised a guaranteed franchise for a fee but has failed to deliver.

The vice mayor urged the applicants not to give in to fixers because that would only guarantee the cancellation of their applications.

Under a standing ordinance enacted four months ago, the task of issuing franchises to motorized tricycles had been returned to the SP, a job previously exercised by the City Legal Office.

Councilor Karlos Liberato Reyna III said it was the tricycle operators themselves who requested then Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. to return the function to the SP.—LM

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments