The head of the Bacolod City Police Traffic Division yesterday said he will ask the Sangguniang Panlungsod to ban all trisikads from the downtown area after the MassKara Festival.

Senior Insp. Levy Pangue said he will request Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Traffic, to propose an ordinance banning the trisikads along the areas of ETCS and Rizal Elementary School, along Rosario-San Juan Streets, SPCMA along Luzuriaga-San Juan streets and San Sebastian Street.

He said there is no ordinance allowing them to ply these areas but they have been tolerated by their barangay captains for humanitarian consideration. They will be banned in areas where there are jeepney routes, he added.

Pangue sustained bruises in his arms and legs when he was ran over by four trisikads near Rizal-San Juan streets at about 6:45 a.m. Friday.

He said he proceeded to the terminal of the trisikads near Police Precinct 1 after supervising the clean-up operations conducted Friday by the City Legal Office enforcement team at the Central Market.

He said he was informed by Legal Officer 3 Vicente Petierre III of several complaints against trisikads plying the busy streets around the City Hall, the Bacolod Plaza and the San Sebastian Cathedral. Pangue said when he was at the terminal of the trisikads reminding them not to exceed their boundaries, suddenly about 18 trisikads coming from San Juan Street came rushing towards the Reclamation Area upon seeing two approaching traffic enforcers.

He said he fell down after being ran over by one of the trisikads because things happened so fast. Before he was able to stand, three others tailing behind the first also hit him, he added. Pangue said they had no intention of apprehending the trisikad drivers that day but only to remind them not to exceed their boundaries. He said his elbows and knees are now swelling but he is all right.

After the incident, the police rounded up about 150 trisikad units and brought them to the BCPO compound.

Pangue said he met with the trisikad drivers Saturday and the four who ran him down have apologized.

Meanwhile, fish vendors along Luzuriaga and Gatuslao streets were transferred by the city to Bonifacio Street Friday after the SP authorized Mayor Evelio Leonardia to close Ballesteros and Bonifacio streets from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on an experimental basis during the MassKara Festival celebration.*CGS

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