By Kit Bagaipo

More city residents favor the retention of habal-habal operating in the city despite City Mayor Dan Lim's plan to abolish it.

This was gathered during a radio survey conducted over dyRD's top-rated Inyong Alagad last Thursday.

Since Monday last week, the City PNP has started apprehending habal-habal drivers upon the mayor's order.

Although habal-habal is permitted in some towns, Mayor Lim has ordered for its elimination claiming that motorcycle drivers are involved in the resurgence of street hold-ups and robberies in the city.

Habal-habal has been a major transportation to and from rural barangays here in the city.

During the radio survey, city residents, however, have different opinions on the positive and negative aspects of allowing habal-habal to serve commuters.

Of the survey respondents, majority wanted to retain habal-habal operations saying that these motorcycles provide an alternative mode of transportation especially for distant trips, while the rest of the respondents were concerned following police reports that habal-habals are being used as getaway vehicles of robbers.

While some of the respondents said that habal-habal has become a source of livelihood for many residents, city police and traffic consultant Jess Acullador disagreed as many of these motorcycle drivers come from the neighboring towns, making it difficult for the police to identify them.

There were survey respondents who said habal-habal can be allowed as long as they will be regulated by the PNP and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

It was suggested that habal-habal drivers be registered, issued identification cards and their motorbikes assigned numbers to easily recognize them.

Respondents who want habal-habal to be abolished said there are enough tricycle units to serve city commuters. There were instances that nighttime habal-habal drivers have victimized some of their passengers, according to one respondent.

Habal-habal is also blamed by some survey respondents, causing traffic and parking problems, especially with the limited parking spaces in the city's business centers, habal-habal are depriving private vehicle owners much-needed parking spaces.

One caller opined that if the city government should eliminate habal-habal, an alternative livelihood should be provided to drivers who will lose their daily income.

Acullador admitted that they are having difficulties apprehending and monitoring habal-habal drivers since they could not easily identify them from private motor riders. He said the police are responsible for rounding up operators during nighttime.

Some workers doing night shifts, however, are asking that habal-habal be allowed suggesting they be assigned specific parking areas.

A respondent likewise said that it is useless regulating habal-habal since there are many motorcycle units privately owned. It is not a safe mode of transport as there are many undisciplined reckless drivers in the city, he said.

The respondent suggested that the city should start shifting to four-wheel public transport vehicles. Although he agrees allowing habal-habal in the towns.

Another respondent said the city should instead abolish tricycles whose drivers refuse to convey passengers. He said habal-habal is useful as an emergency transportation.
A habal-habal driver protested on the allegation implicating them in crime, saying it was unfair to the honest, law-abiding drivers.

The driver said that anybody may use a single motorcycle and commit a crime.(The Bohol Chronicle, June 24, 2007)

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