Eddiegul grants drivers’ request

CEBU, Philippines - First district representative and Talisay City mayoralty aspirant Eduardo Gullas has granted the request of tricycle drivers to reopen the old Tabunok public tricycle terminal after being closed for two years. 

City administrator Ritchel Bacaltos said the city government met with tricycle drivers, who asked the congressman to reopen the terminal in the old public market.

Boy Bihag, the president of the tricycle drivers, said the new terminal in Lagtang Public Market is too far for most of the drivers. 

The city hall closed the Tabunok Public Market and its adjacent terminal in late August 2011 when it transferred all vendors to the new Lagtang public market.

According to the drivers, only about 10 to 20 percent of their passengers go to Lagtang Public Market, but since the city has also transferred their terminal to the new market, they have no choice but to go there.

“During the assembly, usa sa ilang concern nga gi-raise mao ang pag-open sa tricycle area nga ilang ka-parkingan. Nakita man nga makaayo ang ilang hangyo hinungdan nga gi-grant ang ilang request,” Bacaltos told The FREEMAN. 

The market building in Tabunok was abandoned in August of 2011.

Majority of the more than 3,000 tricycles in the city converge under the Tabunok flyover causing heavy traffic even after peak hours.

The Talisay City opposition councilors have criticized the present administration for the closure of the Tabunok market saying that there are vendors who suffer from the closure, and the only way to help them is to re-open it. They insist the Lagtang Public Market is not of any help to vendors because of the distance.

But Bacaltos said there was no pressure from the administration.

“There was no pressure because the idea came from the tricycle drivers during the consultative meeting. We are just responding to their request,” he said.  (FREEMAN)