The city franchising office here is now accepting applications for new motorized tricycle operators’ permits (MTOPs) open to 3,174 additional tricycle franchises.

Karen Klietz Pacardo, head of the city franchising office, said they are targeting to accommodate 640 franchise applications per day.

To ensure that minimum health standards will be followed, the city government chose Rizal Park here as the venue for application processing.

“For fast processing and to avoid the applicants staying longer at the venue, we have designated four stations and each station have the same steps,” Pacardo said in an interview on Thursday.

Pacardo said applications for new franchises started Wednesday and will end on February 27.

To avoid overcrowding, Pacardo said all are obliged to submit all initial requirements within a day.

“If they will come back the next day they will be given new priority numbers,” she said.

The city franchising office will evaluate the requirements and the name of qualified applicants in the first screening will be posted on the official Facebook page of the city government and at the city hall.

Pacardo appealed to the applicants to bring with them the original and photocopy of the official receipt (OR) or certificate of registration (CR) of their motorcycle with sidecar and voters certification from the city Commission on Elections office as proof that they are residents of this city.

The local government said they are opening the new MTOPs in adherence to the Local Public Transport Plan (LPTRP) and tricycle route plan.

The LPTRP comprises nine public transport routes in major roads from the main business district to other populated areas in the 27 barangays of the city.

It was approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in October 2020.

It aims to upgrade the city’s transport route plan and to address the traffic problems in the city.

Currently, an estimated 4,600 active tricycles are operating in the city. (PNA)