CEBU, Philippines - Drivers of motorcycles-for-hire locally known as “habal-habal” that are causing traffic at the corner of Salinas Drive and Gorordo Ave. in Lahug welcomed the announcement of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management to provide them with a terminal.
The FREEMAN interviewed the drivers yesterday after CITOM chief Rafael Christopher Yap said that they have requested Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to allow the use of a vacant lot beside Veterans Drive as a terminal for habal-habal motorcycles.
But habal-habal driver Florencio Agbay said that even if the government will provide a space for a motorcycle-for-hire terminal there is still no assurance that all of his fellow drivers will comply with the rules by not going around to pick up passengers.
“Mosiaw man gud na sila kay unsaon nga ang mga personnel sa barangay Lahug nga gidistino dinhi magdumala sa traffic dili man manakop. Moislag ra ang akong mga kauban kon dunay mga traffic police nga mag-operate pero inigkawala nila balik na sab,” Agbay said.
CITOM chairman Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem earlier announced that they are planning to conduct a unified operation in that area to be conducted by the members of the PNP Traffic Group, CITOM, Highway Patrol and Land Transportation Office.
One regular passenger of habal-habal motorcycles said the proposed terminal is too far away from the corner of Gorordo Ave. and Salinas Drive.
“Layoa na namo’g lakaw ana uy,” said Marife Escandor, who lives in Sitio Maracas, Lahug, and works in IT Park.
The operation of “habal-habal” motorcycles in Cebu City are still not regulated by the authorities, but the local officials and the police tolerate them because of insufficient public transportation to the remote areas, particularly the mountain barangays.
Although many passengers patronize this mode of transportation they are also complaining because the habal-habal drivers are the ones who decided how much passengers get to pay them.
For instance, habal-habal drivers charge P15 for a trip from the Busay Barangay Hall to the GMA-7 Complex, a distance of less than a kilometer. (FREEMAN)