About 100 drivers of motorcabs-for-hire or pedicabs launched Monday the opening salvo of their weekly campaign to demand the scrapping of Ordinance No. 88, that increased the mayor's permit fee from P27 to P400 and the franchise fee from P460 to P860.

The ordinance, authored by city councilor Samuel Dicen, took effect last January.

The peaceful picket last Monday outside the gates of City Hall was led by the newly-organized transportation group PISTON, MOTOR, and the Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center in Dumaguete City.

"This is the start of the pedicab drivers' and operators' protest actions against this oppressive tax measure," KMU provincial coordinator Ronald Ian Evidente said.

Evidente said the move was only one of the protest actions the different pedicab associations will be launching until City Hall withdrew the ordinance.

He said the associations' lawyer is finalizing their complaints for declaratory relief and restraining order that will be filed before the Regional Trial Court, before Friday.

Cerilo Collado, PISTON-MOTOR spokesman, disclosed that the signature drive and the symbolic Piso-Piso Para sa TRO were gaining grounds among all the 14 associations of pedicab drivers and operators.

Collado showed reporters the signatures of more than 2,000 drivers and operators that were calling for the scrapping of the ordinance.

Dumaguete City has more than 3,000 pedicab drivers for a population of over 2,500 pedicabs.

Evidente said that in their next mass action, they will exhibit huge posters containing the photographs of the members of the City Council showing a thumbs-down and thumbs-up illustration for those who voted for and against the ordinance.*RG

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