Consolacion grounds 137 hot "habal-habal"

Following Mayor Avelino Gungob Sr.'s order last February 1, the Consolacion Traffic Command has apprehended 137 illegal "habal-habal" or motorcycles that are used to transport people without the necessary permits for such business.

Contracom chief Romulo Mindajao said Consolacion has about 800 "habal-habal" but only about 200 of these are legitimate and around 600 are running around the poblacion illegally. Those with permits are allowed to work in the mountain barangays but some unscrupulous ones do business in the poblacion, Mindajao said.

Gungob, before he left for Canada last month, had instructed Mindajao to rid the poblacion of the illegal "habal-habal" to prevent more accidents from happening. Mindajao said about 30 accidents occurred last year involving "habal-habal."

"Grabe gyud ang disgrasya gumikan anang habal-habal. Kay ang mga drivers sa habal-habal mokarga gud na ug tag-upat ka pasahero," Mindajao said.

Alarmed by the rising accidents, Gungob has put up a more than one kilometer center railings from the boundary of Mandaue City down to V and G Subdivision in Consolacion, so that habal-habal drivers cannot cross the road at will.

"Sa una, ang mga habal-habal drivers inig naug sa mga pasahero gikan sa jeepney, ilaha dayon nga sugaton unya mag-ilog na sila. Mao na daghan ang disgrasya," he said.

Mindajao added that they do not want to deprive the drivers of their livelihood but the municipal government is also duty bound to ensure the safety of the public. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan