Complaints over tricycle operations are mounting in Tagbilaran City, with passengers reporting alleged overcharging, refusal to accept passengers and discourteous behavior by some drivers.
The concerns were discussed Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, during a meeting of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Energy, Public Utilities and Franchises chaired by Councilor Edi Borja.
Leaders and representatives of 22 tricycle operators and drivers associations, or TODAs, attended the meeting.
City Traffic Management Office chief Tony Samante said his office regularly receives complaints from passengers.
The most common complaints involve alleged overcharging and refusal to convey passengers.
Other complaints include discourteous or arrogant behavior and the failure of some drivers to provide fare discounts to senior citizens, students and persons with disabilities.
Even retired police officer Dodong Udtohan, the city’s traffic consultant, said he experienced being refused a ride by a tricycle driver who was waiting for passengers at the Tagbilaran port.
Samante said the high cost of tricycle rentals may be contributing to the problem.
Daily rental or “boundary” payments can reach as much as P1,000 pesos, he said.
The CTMO warned that drivers caught overcharging passengers, refusing to convey passengers or behaving improperly could face apprehension.
Meanwhile, tricycle operators and drivers are asking the city government to restore a provisional P20-peso fare, citing rising fuel prices and operating costs.
John Rey Millomeda, president of the Bohol Active Responsible Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association and vice president of the Metro Tagbilaran Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association, said higher gasoline and diesel prices have placed a heavy burden on drivers and operators.
He said a large portion of drivers’ daily earnings goes toward fuel, leaving less money for vehicle maintenance, spare parts, rental or boundary payments and household expenses.
The groups said the current minimum fare of P15 pesos is no longer sufficient to cover the rising cost of operating a tricycle.
Millomeda warned that without an adjustment, some drivers could be forced to work excessively long hours to meet their daily expenses, while some operators may eventually stop operating.
The groups said restoring the provisional fare would help sustain transportation services while allowing drivers to earn enough to support their families.
Borja said his committee would study the petition before any fare adjustment could be considered.
He said the proposed increase must undergo the required process before it can take effect.
Under the existing city ordinance, the authorized fare is P15 pesos for the first kilometer and P3 pesos for every succeeding kilometer.
The competing issues put city officials in the middle of a dispute over public transportation: Bolanon commuters want affordable and reliable service, while tricycle drivers and operators say higher fuel prices and operating expenses require an increase in fares.