FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
'11 
JAN 31 
P 3 :11 
SE~132 
S. No. --'.C:....::..-=...:.::..-
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Common carriers, by the very nature of their business and for reasons of public policy, 
have a duty to exercise extraordinary diligence in protecting the safety of its passengers. The 
Civil Code, Article 1755, provides: 
A common carrier is bound to carry passengers safely as far as human care 
and foresight can provide, using the utmost diligence of very cautious persons, 
with a due regard for all the circumstances. 
Based on a report by the Department of Transportation and Communications, more than 
60% of passengers use public utility vehicles as opposed to private vehicles. 
Land-based 
vehicles for public use include jeepneys, buses, trains, mini-buses, and tricycles. Tricycles, in 
particular, occupy a large role in the public commuter's life. 
In a 1999 study conducted by the Asian Development Bank on the transport industry in 
Quezon City with particular focus on the tricycle sub-sector, it was found that jeepneys and 
buses dominate the primary roads of Quezon City; tricycles on the other hand, ply within the 
inner areas and communities. Most of the time, tricycles provide supplementary services by 
transporting the commuting public from tertiary roads to the primary roads, and vice-versa, 
where four-wheeled vehicles operate. 
Furthermore, many commuters were found to have 
preferred the use of tricycles for reasons such as (i) high accessibility; (ii) availability; (iii) 
affordability; (iv) no waiting time; and (v) convenience. 
Because of the demand for tricycles and the relatively small capital needed to start a 
tricycle business, tricycles have proliferated over the past years. Based on data from the Land 
Transportation Office (LTO), total vehicle registration in the Quezon City area exhibited a 114% 
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increase from the 1990-2003 levels. Motorcycle and tricycle registration generated a 212% 
increase for the same period and is considered the third major contributor, next to cars and utility 
vehicles, for the significant increase in vehicular population in the area. In 2004, the Tricycle 
Regulation Unit (TRU) reported a total of20,316 tricycles registered in Quezon City. 
Unfortunately, the increased volume of commuters has also translated into higher number 
of accidents. According to statistics compiled by the Philippine Pediatric SocietY,54% of all 
injuries in the Philippines occur in the streets. Pedestrian and vehicular accidents accOlmt for 
30% of injury in previously healthy children; and passenger tricycle injury ranks 4th in causing 
motor vehicle injury. 
Since an increasing number of commuters rely on tricycles, the grant of franchises to 
operators of these vehicles must be accompanied by adequate measures that ensure driver safety 
skills. Considering that tricycles ply residential areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, and tricycles 
are handled differently than standard motorcycles, this bill proposes that a tricycle driver safety 
training and awareness program be instituted at the national level and specific tasks be delegated 
to the local government units .• 
• This bill was originally filed in the Fourteenth Congress. 
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FIFTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
-Sermtr 
([W,;', of t~, 'm'!"M 
'11 
JAN 31 
P 3 :11 
SENATE 
S.No. 2662 
Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
ACT 
ESTABLISHING TRICYCYLE DRIVER TRAINING 
AND MOTORIST AWARENESS PROGRAMS 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
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SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Tricycle Drivers Safety Act." 
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SECTION 2. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the term: 
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(a) 
"Tricycle" shall mean a motor vehicle composed of a motorcycle with not more 
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than two (2) cylinders of five hundred cubic centimeters (500cc) engine capacity, with a single-
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wheel sidecar designed to accommodate three (3) passengers only including the driver; 
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(b) 
"Tricycle Drivers Safety Program" shall mean any formal program of instruction 
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that provides accident avoidance and other safety-oriented operational skills to tricycle drivers, 
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including innovative training to meet unique regional needs; 
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(c) 
"Motorist Awareness" shall mean individual or collective motorist awareness of 
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the presence of tricycles motorcycles on or near roadways; and safe driving practices that avoid 
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injury to tricycles, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians; 
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(d) 
"Motorist awareness program" shall mean any information or public awareness 
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program designed to enhance motorist awareness that is developed by or in coordination with the 
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Land Transportation Office and the local government unit authority having jurisdiction over 
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tricycle regulation; 
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(e) 
"L TO" shall mean the Land Transportation Office; and 
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(1) 
"TESDA" shall mean the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. 
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SECTION 3. 
Implementing Agency. -
The Land Transportation Office, with the 
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assistance ofTESDA, shall : 
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(a) 
Develop and implement a nationwide Tricycle Drivers Safety Progratn in 
coordination with tricycle regulation offices of local government units; 
(b) 
Develop and implement a nationwide Motorist Awareness Program in 
coordination with the tricycle regulation offices of local government units; 
(c) 
Collect and analyze data on tricycle accidents and other information that can be 
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used to monitor the effectivity of the programs and for research, technical assistance, and policy 
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development; and 
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(d) 
Provide continuous information and awareness campaigns to the target drivers 
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and the general public on transportation safety issues. 
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SECTION 4. Role of Local Government Units. - The office of each local government 
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unit that is in-charge of regulating the tricycle sector in their jurisdiction shall ensure that tricycle 
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drivers shall not operate without first undergoing the Tricycle Drivers Safety Program. 
A 
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franchise shall not be granted until a certification issued by the L TO to the driver/applicant has 
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been presented. 
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SECTION 5. Appropriations. - To carry out the provisions of this Act, such amount as 
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may be necessary is hereby authorized to be appropriated from the National Treasury. 
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Thereafter, the amount necessary for the continuous operation of the program shall be included 
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in the annual appropriations of the Land Transportation Office. 
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SECTION 6. Separability Clause. - If any provision, or part hereof, is held invalid or 
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unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain 
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valid and subsisting. 
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SECTION 7. Repealing Clause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive 
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order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or is inconsistent 
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with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly. 
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SECTION 8. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its 
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publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation . 
. Approved, 
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