Best Posts in Thread: Trike driver recommendations...

For Comparison: We have a couple who we use, one guy is a local here in Zamboanguita and will drive us to Dumaguete, wait for us when we go in to eat, wait while we do our Grocery Shopping etc... From Zamboanguita; we pay him 400 pesos to take us to Dumaguete, then another 400 pesos to take us home after our day out (he us happy to wait for us in between) and on the way home (if we are not too late going home) we usually stop at Chooks to Go and buy him a BBQ Chicken to take home to his family as it is usually well after dark by the time we arrive home here. We then tip him 100 to carry in our Groceries, so all up a 900 peso Fare (1100php with the BBQ Chicken) but well worth it for me.

Another guy (if we miss the first guy) usually spies us at Hypermart and races to us to bring us home as he lives nearby here and we are his last Fare for the day. We pay him 400 pesos to drive us home and tip him another 100 pesos as he usually carries in our 4x large boxes of groceries from the Highway along the Goat track to our house. Depending; we often buy him a BBQ Chicken also to take home to his Family.

 

Best way to get to know the way the trikes work is to use them like the locals do. Get short trips everywhere you need to go. If you are able, walk around downtown. You'll notice a lot more by going for a stroll than you will by always driving.

If you want to get an idea for how much trikes should cost for getting from one point to the next, bring a local with you and have that person negotiate the fare. Every ride will be "double-ride" which means twice as much, but it will give you an idea.

Getting a driver for a partial day won't help you for getting to know the fares or how to actually get a driver to take you there. There are a lot of quirks to figure out.

They'll charge you more on rainy days because they can't get customers (considered a special trip if they know they won't be able to pick up other passengers.)

Getting a trip from one odd spot in town to another odd spot in town can be difficult, so it's better to ask for a common stopping point somewhere in the middle and then get another trike. Get to know those common routes. For example, getting a trike to go between Lee Plaza and Robinson's is easy and it's standard fare. Places which are a ways out from downtown still generally have their common places, figure out where those places are near you.

The more you offer, the more they'll ask, even if it's way above what they normally get. I make one offer and don't negotiate after that.

I generally think of fare in terms of segments. I know I can get from point X to point Y for the standard fare. I know I can get from point Y to point Z for the standard fare. I know I'll be waiting for a long time to maybe get someone to take me from point X to point Z for standard fare. So, I'll offer "double-ride" (double-standard) for point X to point Z. If they want more than that, then it's better to just have them take me to the first stopping point and I'll get another trike.

Deal only with trikes which are actively working. Don't bother drivers which have been sitting for a while, instead look for one which is driving. Don't bother with drivers who are actively hustling for customers but aren't getting locals, these guys are just trying to soak tourists for bigger fare. For example, it's easy to get a trike to take you into the front of Robinson's, but getting a trike to take you out of there is generally a ripoff. It's better to follow the locals as they walk out to the side road and get the trikes which are already on the road.

And the list goes on...

You only figure this stuff out as you get out and get adventurous. And why not? It's all part of the fun of living in Dumaguete.

 

Mate I can be as miserable as the next guy, but if you meet someone who is genuine, friendly, and one who will happily speak with my wife and laugh and joke with her and try to include me in the conversation, then I have no problem to share the blessings, as I know they are a genuinely nice person. If I get someone who is sullen and will not even acknowledge me or my wife, or give us a second glance on the way home, then it is a trip straight home! I have no problem to admit I am kuripot, especially to those who deserve as such.

 

I was staying at the Coco Grandi and walked the 4 blocks to Lee Plaza. When I came out it was raining so took a tricycle back to my hotel. I had already pulled a 20 out for the ride. At the hotel I ask how much and he replied 50. I knew that it was only a 7 peso ride. He must have assumed that I just g0t off the plane. I said NO way, he said "It's up to you, sir." I said 5 centavos. He than said 7 pesos sir. I say I knew what the fare was and handed him the 20 and ask for the change. He says no change sir. This all happened in 2009 and at that time I had been to Dumaguete about 20 times and was well aware of that GAME. I got the 20 back and started walking to the Hotel entrance. He started hollering, SIR SIR come back I have change!
He got 7 pesos and lost a 12 peso tip. I have gotten out of a moving cab in Manila because the driver refused to drop the flag on the meter. I refuse to deal with people that try to cheat me.

 

Anyone who has tried to catch a trike of jeep on the road between 4 and 6 will understand that part. I try and stay out of that rush hour traffic but it's nice to know I have wheels if I need to do it.

 

In Tagum City are the tricycle fares depending on the gasoline price. And that is officially published in every tricycle. You can even find the fare matrix online.

 

Agree, it isn 't the money in question, that's even less than peanuts, but the way some local trike tricycle drivers do think they can get away with. That's why I have my own hassle free two and four wheels to get around.

 

It depends to a great extent on how much fuel he used, which relates to how much of that was driving time and not waiting time. Fuel has increased a lot recently and must be a headache for trike drivers.

I know that builders are paid about 400 to 500 per day (which seems terribly low to me) and I see no reason why a trike driver should not earn the same (it is less skilled than a builder but usually harder work). So perhaps the labour cost should be about 180 for 3 hours and then add fuel cost. Another comparison is with what he could have earned if picking up passengers - a 3 km trip could pick up maybe 8 passengers each way and take one hour total, which equals 128 per hour. So 3 hours would be about 390.

Most of this is guesswork but as I like guessing I conclude that 400/500 is fine.

 

I always use him half day from the morning when shopping malls open or from around lunchtime, and 3-4 hours. He asks like 250-300 pesos, I paid 500 pesos, remember he was a kind of helper too, in the beginning, he drives me around in a wheelchair, pick me up in Bacong and of course drive me home again. He told me you don't need to pay me that much, but he is a really nice guy, have a family, wife, and kids, and 500 pesos are a very little amount for me for that service.

 

Same in Dumaguete. All I was able to find with a quick search was Philstar articles and the site appears to be in mid disaster. You can still read the summaries in the search results. Link

I don't pay attention these days, but I recall that some pedicabs tape up a fare list inside the cab. You could probably find a list on the internets as well. Not sure who's responsible for it, and the site is probably down just like every other site in the Philippines.