Tricycle drivers are usually blamed for their unruly behavior on the road, which, more often than not, results in an accident especially with motorcycle riders. Last week, during the meeting of Metro Manila Tricycle Owners and Drivers Association (TODA) Coalition in Quezon City where they demanded the government for tricycle lanes, they disowned those “kamote” tricycle drivers saying that they are not their members and are colorum (unauthorized public utility vehicle).
“Unang una, hindi sila miyembro, hindi sila nakakapila, (First of all, they are not members so they do not go to the terminal)” says Ismael Sevilla, incumbent NCR TODA Coalition president. Sevilla also added that these tricycle drivers, just freely roam the roads as they please since they are not bound to any tricycle association rules and prohibitions e.g.: prescribed routes.
The term “kamote” just like among motorcycle riders, is also reserved by the TODA members to their unruly and law-breaking counterparts, who are usually those who break traffic laws and don't have driver's licenses.
Sevilla noted though that they also do their part as responsible citizens to report these unruly tricycle drivers to the proper authorities, as well as educating them to be responsible tricycle drivers. Unfortunately for them, says Sevilla, the law seems to be lenient in penalizing these tricycle drivers and these colorum/ kamote tricycle drivers often gets back on the streets in no time.
“Yun po kasing aksidente ng kolorum, nadadamay po kami. Hindi po namin tino-tolerate ito. Hindi po namin ito pinababayaan. Bagkos, kami po mismo ang nagsasabi para ito po ay hulihin, (we carry the brunt of the road accidents these colorums have caused. We do not tolerate these. We do not turn a blind eye on these. In fact, we are the ones who request their apprehension),” added Sevilla.
