Batac to review trike side car dimensions

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter

Batac City—After receiving complaints on the inconvenience of riding some tricycles here, the Sangguniang Panlungsod announced that they would review the prescribed size of tricycle sidecars here.

A letter addressed to the council stated: “Dandanin awan pagyanan dagiti saka min, a no sobraan ti sumarita ket kasla kami la nakadulipakpak. Marigatan pay a maiyanay iti dua wennu tallo a pasaheros ti uneg. Ket no ipapilit dagiti tricycle drivers a punuen iti sidecar ket kasla kami la sardinas nga agpipinipinen ti uneg”.

The letter, which also called on the council to prescribe exact measurements of sidecars, was referred to the council’s transportation committee.

Council secretary Gladys Lagura said the personnel in charge of tricycles is doing their jobs but she noticed that there may be a minor deficiency as the measurement mentioned is only for the entrance and not the whole sidecar.

The SP secretariat personnel in-charge of the measurement, Michael Galacgac, also explained what transpires during inspections.

Mr. Galacgac related that the entrance is should be 36 inches, or the size of the chair to the top.

“Ngem tattan nalaing met dagiti traysikelanen. Inbaba da diay tugaw da tapnu makamat diay 36 inches isu a kakaasi nukwa dagidiay nakapalda kasla da la nakatugaw iti bangkito,” Mr. Galacgac explained.

He added that there are some who defy the measurement by employing other measures.

“Adda pay ngamin diay style da nga no umay da agpa-inspect ket natingalan diay togaw, mapalabes iti one week, makitak, awan man diay tingal nan, isu a no dadduma ket dagitoy drivers ket natangken ti ulo na”, Mr. Galacgac stressed.

Reacting to this, Batac Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Ronald Allan M. Nalupta admitted that there is no ordinance about the measurement. But because this has been the practice when he entered public service, it was tolerated. However, there is now a need to act and solve the problem immediately.

The vice mayor emphasized that the blame should be pinned on manufacturers and not the drivers or operators.

He added that the SP checklist for inspection only includes valid registration papers, silencer, headlight/signal light/stop light, and horn among others but no specific side car measurement.