By Chito Chavez
The Quezon City Council is set to pass a landmark ordinance providing personal accident insurance coverage for tricycle drivers and passengers.
Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte. (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)
“I think that the ordinance will pass unanimously and that there will be no opposition to such ordinance,” stated the Joy Belmonte who is also presiding officer of the council.
Belmonte added, “We already passed earlier this year the first ever Road Safety Ordinance in the country, and actually this will just be an appendix to that particular ordinance.”
The ordinance – the first of its kind in the country – will implement a “Personal Accident Insurance Coverage Program” for tricycle passengers and drivers.
The proposal is set to be discussed in a public hearing today.
“When we did the maths, we computed that, if we sponsor the insurance in the beginning, it will only cost the city about P20 million,” Belmonte said.
In a dialogue with tricycle drivers, Belmonte said that they need not worry since the local government will shoulder part of the expenses for the insurance policy in the first year.
The ordinance allocates a seed fund amounting to P20 million for this purpose.
The Quezon City Tricycle Franchising Board will be the lead agency for the pioneering insurance program. Failure to avail of the personal accident insurance for drivers and passengers may result in the cancellation of existing tricycle franchises. Tricycle operators will have a grace period of one year after the passage of the ordinance to comply with the new regulation.
Lawyer for Commuters’ Safety and Protection (LCSP) founder Ariel Inton expressed his gratitude for the much-awaited ordinance.
“Hundreds of thousands take tricycle rides every day, but the tricycle is the only public utility vehicle na hindi insured ang pasahero at ang driver precisely because no local government unit (LGU) has ever come out with an ordinance. But now Quezon City will not only mandate it but will spend for it in the beginning,” said Inton.
The former LTFRB board member also mentioned that other LGU’s should replicate the ordinance.
“We have been talking about safety, but have we ever thought of giving them really that safety concern, na kung sakaling may mangyari talaga, may makukuha ang pasahero at driver?” he asked.
In Quezon City, there are over 24,600 tricycle units licensed to operate by the city government, with 150 tricycle operators and drivers’ associations or TODA’s.
Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte. (Mark Balmores/MANILA BULLETIN)
“I think that the ordinance will pass unanimously and that there will be no opposition to such ordinance,” stated the Joy Belmonte who is also presiding officer of the council.
Belmonte added, “We already passed earlier this year the first ever Road Safety Ordinance in the country, and actually this will just be an appendix to that particular ordinance.”
The ordinance – the first of its kind in the country – will implement a “Personal Accident Insurance Coverage Program” for tricycle passengers and drivers.
The proposal is set to be discussed in a public hearing today.
“When we did the maths, we computed that, if we sponsor the insurance in the beginning, it will only cost the city about P20 million,” Belmonte said.
In a dialogue with tricycle drivers, Belmonte said that they need not worry since the local government will shoulder part of the expenses for the insurance policy in the first year.
The ordinance allocates a seed fund amounting to P20 million for this purpose.
The Quezon City Tricycle Franchising Board will be the lead agency for the pioneering insurance program. Failure to avail of the personal accident insurance for drivers and passengers may result in the cancellation of existing tricycle franchises. Tricycle operators will have a grace period of one year after the passage of the ordinance to comply with the new regulation.
Lawyer for Commuters’ Safety and Protection (LCSP) founder Ariel Inton expressed his gratitude for the much-awaited ordinance.
“Hundreds of thousands take tricycle rides every day, but the tricycle is the only public utility vehicle na hindi insured ang pasahero at ang driver precisely because no local government unit (LGU) has ever come out with an ordinance. But now Quezon City will not only mandate it but will spend for it in the beginning,” said Inton.
The former LTFRB board member also mentioned that other LGU’s should replicate the ordinance.
“We have been talking about safety, but have we ever thought of giving them really that safety concern, na kung sakaling may mangyari talaga, may makukuha ang pasahero at driver?” he asked.
In Quezon City, there are over 24,600 tricycle units licensed to operate by the city government, with 150 tricycle operators and drivers’ associations or TODA’s.