Best Posts in Thread: Tricycle Drivers Strike Starting Monday...Things to Consider

Trikes could be fairly eaily replaced with better vehicles for the job. Bajaj, Piaggio, TVS King, even Rusi offer three-wheeled tuk-tuks that are less than 200K pesos to purchase new and easily cruise along with the traffic speeds in Dumaguete (80 kph on the rare level surfaces.) Rusi has an extended version with a second back seat. They are narrower than a Multicab and, since they are factory-designed (Bajaj has manufactured them since 1960) as a three-wheeled vehicle, are much safer (braking on all three wheels, for instance.) Of course, it's still an expense to purchase one, but a city with some vision would work out a way to transition over a few years. Tangub City on Mindanao uses tuk-tuks as their taxis with great success (in case anyone out there wants to firehose the idea just to be contrary.)

 

I know you post with a high degree of sincerity - when I first moved to the Philippines I saw so many areas of improvement which would push the country forward into at least the 1960s (education, land reform, inheritance, inclusion of foreigners, divorce laws, road infrastructure and traffic management, just to name a few!).

Then I thought - "WTF, not my country" and decided to go with all the downsides just to enjoy the upsides. If ever the downsides weigh too heavily then I will hop on a plane and move (btw, anyone interested in relocation - I know from research quite a few countries which are possible contenders, many leading to citizenship and special privileges).

In almost all the areas I saw as needing reform, I really don't care anymore. Not my country, not my mess, not my tragedy.

 

Even if they fulfill a needed service they have devolved into a pack of "I don't care about any vehicle but me" on our city streets... They do not possess adequate lighting, brakes, mirrors and other safety equipment and the drivers operate with impunity as they do U turns whenever they feel the need and stop for passengers without any signal .... They definitely have a place but should be diminished by half and strictly supervised by the appropriate government agency

There... I said it LOL

 

This is the news link describing Monday's Strike and the get tough rule against back riders on motorcyles.

Things to consider about tricycle drivers:

1. Most of the drivers do not own the tricycle they drive but rent them on a day by day basis for P160 to P200. Someone else owns the tricycle and city franchise.

2. Gasoline and minor repairs like flats are paid by the renter (driver)

3. Each city licences tricycles and multicabs as a franchise going from terminal to terminal picking up and setting down along a route. A route is basically from a city market to city market with a terminal on either end vs versa. Terminal fees are paid for by the driver. Enforced Social distancing by the terminals restricts the number of riders allowed while fuel costs and terminal fees remain the same.

4. Roaming tricycles while still offering express service are limited to one passenger. A Dumaguete licensed roaming tricycle can pickup a passenger in Dumaguete and deliver their passenger to Bacong or Sibulan legally but not pickup another passenger until they return to the Dumaguete city limits. Fares are negotiable for roaming tricycles.

5. Motorcycles are the mode of FAMILY transportation and prohibiting backriders just enforces stay at home and hurts dine-in and shopping for food or medicine.

What can the privileged few of us do to help our neighbors?

shakey aka John

 

You are correct and this is changing slowly. There is a clear use case for slow affordable transportation in the city and the motorized tricycle fits this use case very well. Officially the tricycle is referred to as a "motorized pedicab". This is because it evolved up from the human powered pedicab.

On the other hand, although it is good in the city, the speed differences between the motorized pedicabs and modern vehicles is too extreme to manage on the highways between cities.

There are two issues. (1) People speeding in the city (metro area) and (2) slow motorized pedicabs on the highway between cities.

Currently, although it is not being enforced here, it is against the law for tricycles to drive on the national highway. There is an exception available for the portions of highway that go through cities if the city applies for it. This law was enacted some time ago and is slowly being enforced across the country. It is being enforced in the Manila area. You will see areas where the motorized pedicabs only operate on the side streets.

[Tricycles and pedicabs have long been banned to travel on national highways but there are still those that are stubborn. Not only are they disruptive on the highways, but they can also be the cause of an accident on the road. That is why mayors and the police have to be stricter in enforcing this ban]

https://www.autoindustriya.com/auto-industry-news/dilg-no-more-tricycles-on-national-highways.html

Slowly, the enforcement is spreading to the more rural provinces. This gives time for the communities to adapt.

Filipinos are very resourceful and tricycles are a good example of their resourcefulness. Tricycles are an incredibly low cost transportation solution. Furthermore they have a very low foreign cost. The side car is made here in the province. Only the motorcycle is imported from off island. This helps to create jobs here in the province instead of paying foreigners (Chinese) money that Negrosians do not have. It will take awhile for the economy to develop to the point it can afford more expensive foreign solutions.

The main problem slowing this evolution down is the smaller surrounding towns that allow tricycles on the main highway. But they have no choice because there is no road that travels parallel to the highway for the tricycles to use.

 

I suspect 99% of the readers here don't really care whether any individual likes or dislikes trikes, but they are part of the city, so let's stick to exchanging useful information that's helpful to many shall we........?

 

Oh! I think we are all guilty of thinking that and we must Remember they were here long before us and will be here when we are gone, It is a definite Get used to it regime cos it aint going to change

 

The President in his June 5th speech overturned the Cebu governments proposal to allow backriding. I don't understand Taglish but here is what he said on the topic in response to the Cebu governor's proposal. City mayors pick their police chiefs from a list of three names and local PNP follow the wishes of the mayor unless overruled by the President with his emergency powers.

shakey aka John