Interior Secretary Eduardo Año clears out on Friday the reason why the government allows the e-tricycles to operate in Manila City but the tricycles plying the streets of Pasig City were prohibited amid the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon.

Año said at a press conference that “the e-tricycles in Manila City were dispatched to solely ferry frontline health workers to their designated hospitals.”

Año explains, “The difference doon kay Mayor ng Manila, ‘yung e-trikes, e-vehicles ay hindi pumapasada… ito ay kinomisyon ng Manila on dispatch system for the purpose of bringing health workers sa hospital. Hindi sila pumapasada, they are on dispatch system, hindi ‘yung pumipick-up ka ng pasahero,”

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno said that he hired a total of 189 electric tricycle drivers to ferry healthcare workers amid home quarantine due to the threat of coronavirus (COVID-19).

E-trikes would be assigned to various cities district hospitals, such as Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center, Ospital ng Tondo, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, Ospital ng Sampaloc, Ospital ng Maynila, and Sta. Ana Hospital.

However, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has requested earlier to the national government to exempt tricycles from the ban on public transportation to ferry frontliners and health workers. Unfortunately, the Department of the Interior and Local Government rejected his request.

According to DILG, allowing tricycles to operate will defeat the purpose of the mandatory quarantine.

Sotto said Pasig City will comply with the national government’s ban on tricycles.

He said, “Kami ho dito sa Pasig, magko-comply kami sa kahit anong direktiba ng ating nasyonal na pamahalaan,”

He added, “Kaya lang po ako nagsalita kahapon para lang po marinig din nila ‘yong pananaw namin, ‘yong experience namin sa ground pero at the end of the day, we need to have one policy sa NCR, sa buong Luzon,”

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