MANILA— Tricycle drivers are worried about the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority's (MMDA) policy banning them from national roads starting today, April 15.

They said their livelihood is at stake since they cannot avoid plying national roads as part of their routes.

Drivers also expressed concern about the P2,500 fine, which they said is enormous.

"Wala naman kami kikitain kapag hindi maihahatid yung pasahero. 'Pag nahuli kami, ang laking penalty, saan namin kukuhanin pangtubos sa lisensya?" said Jun Culago, a tricycle driver plying Araneta Avenue.

"Di maiiwasan dumaan sa national road. Wala kami magagawa, kung mahuli eh 'di ganun na lang. Napakalaki yun, uutang pa kami 5'6 bago matubos lisensya," he added.

They said if ordered to take smaller interior roads, their travel time would double so they would need to spend more for fuel. 

"Halimbawa, nandito kami maghahatid kami sa kabila, malayo pa dadaanan namin bago kami makarating doon na hindi kami dadaan sa national road, dadaan sa eskinita, mapapalayo ang byahe namin," said Ranilio Aguirre, also a tricycle driver in Araneta Avenue. 

"Malayo po, siguro, one kilometer, eh talaga kaming gagamit kami ng gasolina, sa taas ng gasolina ngayon, mahal po talaga. Kinikita namin 600, below minimum lang." Aguirre said.

MMDA's policy bans tricycles, e-bikes, e-trikes, pedicabs, and other light vehicles from national, circumferential, and radial roads due to safety reasons.

But transportation group AltMobilityPH raised concerns about the ban.

"Napaka-unfair ng policy kasi yung popularity naman ng e-trikes, sanhi lang ito ng broken transportation system. Dumidiskarte na lang ang mga tao, pinagbabawalan pa nila eh mobility basic service na dapat pino provide ng gobyerno," said Ira Cruz of AltMobilityPH.

"Sana mas solusyon ang pinagtutuunan nh pansin at hindi restriction. Sana maging part sila ng solution at hindi puro apprehension," he added.

MMDA implemented the measure today but will start issuing violation tickets on Wednesday, April 17.