Here in the US, most cities, especially large ones, have a mass transit system, be it bus and/or rail. Here in my home city of Asheville, North Carolina, we have an up-to-date bus system that has been recently upgraded to include hybrid buses. Also, in an effort to help people save gas and to improve the air quality, the City of Asheville sponsors a yearly Strive Not to Drive week which includes reduced fares in a effort to get people to stay off the crowded highways by using the bus system.
But during my visits to my wife’s home city in the Philippines, General Santos City, I’ve discovered an entirely different type of mass transit. The city itself does not have a municipally-owned and operated bus system that has city routes. There is a system that operates to help people travel to the outlying areas and townships. As for getting around in the city itself, though, they have a unique system of mass transit that goes by the name of pedicabs and tricycles. This is a three-wheeled public conveyance, typically one having a hooded cab mounted behind the driver. But these aren’t the usual pedis because instead of being powered by pedal, these are motorcycles with an attached hooded cab that can hold up to four passengers. The trikes, not allowed on the main streets, cruise the side streets and usually can hold only two passengers.
The usual traffic count: 4 pedicabs, 3 motorcycles and 1 motor vehicle.
On any given day the streets will be full of these. Without a doubt, there are several thousand of these on the city streets. They may sound like a lot, but her city has a population of over 500,000 and though many people do drive, everyone can’t afford an automobile. Needless to say, though, there are times you can be on the highway and see 9 pedicabs for each individual auto. That is definitely an eerie sight, especially for one from the US who is used to seeing highways and interstates full of vehicles flying like the wind.
A little crowded, but up-close-and-personal can be fun!
But the motorcycle itself is one way many choose to do their commuting. One thing I took great notice of was the parking lots at the malls in the city. There are three huge malls in GenSan. And not only do they have huge parking complexes for the autos, there are separate lots for motorcycles and at any time there will be hundreds parked. And there were other parking areas in the city that had a separate section for motorcycles which were constantly full. That’s certainly something I’ve never seen here in the US, at least here in my hometown, though there may be such places with motorcycle lots in big cities like New York or Los Angeles.
The great thing about using a tricycle is the cost. We could take one and go from one side of the city to the other for no more that one dollar American. And to grab a pedicab, all we had to do was walk to the end of her street and catch a trike which would drop us off at the main highway. Needless to say, unless we had a long way to go, we never had to take an expensive cab.
That put me in mind of back in the day when I was a kid. Even here in the small township I live in, we had a bus system. The Elk Mountain bus line ran from Woodfin to Asheville, roughly a 5 mile trip, and had a bus making the trip once every half an hour. All I had to do is walk about half a mile up to Elk Mountain Road and wait for the bus. When it came, I’d jump on and drop my 15 cent into the box and be on my way to town. Yeah, those were the days.
MORE FROM OUR VACATION:
A Well-Deserved Month-Long Vacation
We’re Back from Vacation…FINALLY!
Traveling to GenSan, Philippines
In GenSan, Your Money Will Go Far!
Gumasa Beach: A Southern Getaway in the Philippines
An Affordable Journey to the Tropics
That is so awesome! It seems like travel would always feel like an adventure there! And cheap! That’s amazing.
Oh wow, that’s really neat! I love checking out mass transit in other countries, sometimes it’s a little nerve wracking, but always an adventure!
That’s a really neat way to travel! Does look a little crowded but it would be fun to try out one of these especially if you are visiting from another country!
PediCabs are so cool! I have been to a couple of places like this and it is so interesting! Living in Kansas we too do not have a great mass transit system like bigger cities. Then again we do not have pedicabs either.
I got used to traveling in the Philippines without having to own a car or learning to drive so when I came here in the US, it was a big adjustment. I miss the convenience of public transportation there.
I think it’s cool to ride that. Whenever I travel, I like to try out the mass transit in the place. That’s one way to experience how the locals live.
What a cool way to get around town!! I wish my city had more options for public transport!
I don’t know how people do it, I could not be in that close of quarters often. I get too overwhelmed with anxiety with that kind of thing.
This is really a neat way to travel! It really is a new adventure to try out different methods of transportation when visiting other places.
Oh PediCabs! That looks like such a neat way to get around town. How cool is that?
Wow, that’s kinda crazy. What a different way to get around though. I actually think this is kinda neat at the same time.
I wish we had pedicabs in the states to reduce pollution and congestion on the streets. There are so many people who live downtown, yet they drive to work. Granted, winters are rough up north and pedicabs would not be a good choice 4 months out of the year.
Great article.
That is a great transportation option in the Philippines! Pedicabs sound much cheaper than regular cabs!
Aww!! That is so awesome. That pedicab looks so cool. Have an option on transportation in the Phillippines. Love it!!
I’ve always been intrigued by those 3 wheeled cars. One day I will ride in one. My city is severely lacking with public transit options.