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| TRICYCLES FRANCHISE
FEE HIKE. Hundreds of tricycle operators jammed City
Hall yesterday afternoon to voice their objection to the
proposed increase in franchise fees to be collected by
the government. City Kagawad Nerio Zamora III presided
the public hearing while other lawmakers, Kagawads Lucio
Balbin, Edgar Bompat and Kit Oppus were also present to
listen to the reactions of the tricycle operators. |
The
city government is targeting to generate P24 million from
tricycle operators in the city as the franchise fee will be
increased once it will be approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
This
expected income is computed once proposed Ordinance No. 02-08,
which mandates franchise fee of P12,000 (for five years),
gets approved by the city lawmakers.
In
a public hearing conducted yesterday, tricycle operators under
the Tricycle Drivers & Operators Association of Tagbilaran
(TRIDOA) led by Kenneth Menoza as president voiced out their
objection to the proposed increase since they are only presently
paying P225 for a three-year franchise fee to the city government.
The proposed fee is P12,000 for five years.
If
this hiked franchise fee gets approved, the city will generate
s sizeable income since the projected annual income from this
franchise fee will be P4.8 million, instead of P150,000 only
annually.
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City
Kagawad Nerio Zamora III, chairman of the committee
on public utilities, however, explained that the existing
P225 franchise fee for three years has stagnated since
1992, a fee not adjusted during the past 16 years. He
likewise explained that with the proposed P12,000 fee
(good for 5 years) the annual fee is only P2,400 or
computed at P6.57 per day cost.
There
are some 2,069 tricycle and motorela operators in the
city.
The
proposed increase seems justifiable at the present income
generated in the tricycle business since there are new
applicants who are even willing to pay the proposed
P24,000 franchise fee for five years.
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This
is an indication that investing in the tricycle business as
a means of livelihood at the present trend is profitable even
if they pay P24,000 franchise fee (good for five) years,"
Zamora explained during the public hearing yesterday.
In
attendance to answer queries from the tricycle operators were
City kagawads Kit Oppus, Edgar Bompat and Lucio Balbin.
Yesterday's
public hearing was one of the most attended public hearings
conducted by the city government wherein the entire city hall
compound was jammed with tricycle and motorela units, drivers
and operators. In fact, city streets looked deserted yesterday
afternoon while the public hearing was in progress.
The
city lawmakers are expected to pass the ordinance supporting
the franchise fee hike during their session on Monday.
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