Business, Economics and Consulting

I was driving along in Quezon City when I encountered an apparition that was common in Davao but rarely seen in Manila’s major thoroughfares: a trisiboat. With the streets typically congested to road rage-inducing levels, trisiboats are not normally found head to head with vehicles in QC. But there it was, inching its way slowly ahead of my car as I moved forward with the green light, stalling my progress and forcing me to reduce speed to ten KPH, until we were both in the middle of the intersection as the light turned orange. That was when I heard a shrill whistle and saw an MMDA enforcer flagging me to the side of the road. Being a law-abiding citizen, I complied with the enforcer’s hand signals and pulled over, while the trisiboat went its slow and merry way. I asked the enforcer what my offense was, and he replied that I was going too slow and delayed other vehicles as a consequence. I politely pointed out that the reason for my turtle speed was the trisiboat that cut me off as I was moving forward, and why wasn’t its driver apprehended? The enforcer told me that he couldn’t stop the trisiboat, because it was not registered and therefore, no sanctions could be placed on it.

I was dumbfounded. Here I was – polite, law-abiding, driving a registered vehicle with a valid driver’s license, a taxpayer and fully paid of a year’s worth of road taxes – and I was being unjustly punished because a slow, illegal, unregistered trisiboat cut me off. Shock turned to comprehension, then anger – which probably registered on my face, and offered motivation for the MMDA to let me go.

Such occurrences may be rare in Manila, but the scenario is different in Davao. Here, my daily drives will always include a close encounter with a trisiboat, a trisikad, a tricycle, a payong and all forms of excruciatingly slow motorized and non-motorized conveyances that transport people, animals, vegetables, scrap metal, cartons and boxes, eggs, gasul tanks, beds and sofas AND the kitchen sink – and trailing behind them, a long line of vehicles driven by flabbergasted motorists who cannot believe that their commute is being dictated by a tin can travelling on three wheels that law enforcers are inutile to do anything about.

The trisiboat problem is like a large tumor that indicates a cancer lurking beneath. It is an indicator of poor governance, of a local government that chooses to watch as the cancer spreads – without doing anything. It is not merely a traffic problem – it is an indicator of a system that allows people with the audacity and impunity to not follow rules to have the upper hand, while all other Davaoenos suffer through worsening conditions on the streets of the city they used to love passionately, but slowly beginning to detest.

I used to rant that these pseudo-vehicles should be totally banned from Davao. But conversations with some local officials have somehow changed my stand – they tell me banning them will deprive Davao’s poor of a means of livelihood. Given this humane argument then, how to solve the trisiboat problem? The answer is to regulate them, but regulate them rationally.

First, require registration. All conveyances must be registered, and unregistered trikes must be embargoed and released only when its rightful owner finishes the registration process. The city government can determine a fair rate for registration – one that inculcates a sense of responsibility and accountability for ALL who make a living in Davao.

Second, regulation. I believe such modes of transport have no place in national and major roads and the downtown area. How many times have I seen a payong being followed by a cargo truck in Diversion? Quite disturbing! Trisiboats, trisikads, tricycles and payongs should be limited to areas where no other forms of public transportation are available, to allow for the efficient flow of traffic. These conveyances are redundant when jeepneys ply their route. Most ideally, they should only be an option within and to and from residential areas where public transport is absent. Thus, registered trikes should have defined routes and even times of operation. That way, it complements the existing transport offerings and maximizes usefulness while minimizing its nuisance-ness.

Third, standardization. This means strict guidelines on how they should look (e.g. color-coding for those plying a specific, official route, including assigning body numbers for easy monitoring), how many passengers they can carry (at least, an effort for passenger safety) and maybe even a uniform for its drivers (to give them some dignity while they pursue a living, not just a pathetic excuse for livelihood).

I am looking forward to the day when trisiboats have found their rightful place – a place that respects my rights as a motorist, and in Davao – a city that will not allow them to multiply like a plague of termites that eats away at the slight semblance of order we have in our streets. Only then will I be able to say that life, indeed, is here.

Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.