The Socio-Economic Profile of Tricycle Drivers in Tuguegarao City

Submitted By :

Bandola, Hannah 0917-739-3470

BSLM-4B

Ablaza Almira

Submitted To :

Professor :

Chona Pajarillo Agustin, DPA

 Chapter 1

The Problem and its Background

Transportation range from little sort vehicles to the bigger kinds that can accommodate a

greater amount of people at a specific time. It includes the presence of motorcycles, private vehicles

and a good range of open and public transport system notably buses in different sizes, choices in

trains and monorails as well as the presence of pedestrian and non-motorized lanes. All around the

nation, these modes of transportation are frequently seen along roads, and they serve as the primary

form and essential type of getting from one place onto the next.

Land travel is the most widely used mode of transportation in the Philippines. There are

various types of land public transportation that normal commuters can use on a daily basis. Aside

from the usual buses and taxis, it is a country where all modes of imaginable means of motorized

public transport seems to ply the roads as exemplified by the presence of jeepneys, multi-cabs,

taxis, and tricycles. In fact, the jeepneys and tricycles has always been part of the Philippine’s urban

scene and landscape.

The tricycle is ubiquitous means of transport and one of the most commonly used modes

of land transportation in the Philippines. It is one of the most convenient ways to get around

particularly when it’s too far to walk yet too near to bother bringing a car. It’s a motorcycle with a

removable sidecar attached to it. Its structure is composed of a motorcycle connected to a sidecar

which serves as the cabin for the commuters who will be riding the vehicle. Due to its small size,

structure and capability to drop passengers off at specific points, it is one of the most preferred

vehicles of passengers. It is widely used in the country because it is a cheap and practical means of

transport that can be used by large numbers of people, especially in small towns and cities. These

vehicles are perfect for short distances. Where there are no cabs and jeepneys, there are tricycles
that can drop you off at the front door of where you are going or get you to places that are more

distant and unreachable by bigger vehicles.

In populated cities like Tuguegarao, where majority do not own any form of transportation,

people depend on tricycles in transporting from one place or another. Motorized tricycle operation

is one of the most remarkable, decent and chief means of transportation in the said Province. It is

also one of the major sources of livelihood for low-wage workers and unemployed people.

Likewise, it is a form of inexpensive, safe and convenient transportation available in rural areas

since it can operate economically where poor road conditions and low passenger traffic density

make jeepney and transport task impractical and uneconomical. As such, a study of this nature is

imperative. This can be a profitable business venture because of the expansive number of

individuals depending on this mode for transport.

Tuguegarao has relatively high demand for transportation 3/4 of the population depend on

tricycle as a means of transport. It is in this respect where the need to assess and survey the

motorized tricycle transportation industry becomes necessary. This study therefore will try to find

out the socio-economic life of tricycle drivers and whether motorized tricycle transportation

industry is a business worth venturing in. This study focuses on the socio-economic condition of

the tricycle drivers’ in Tuguegarao industry over the previous years until now and examines the

socio-economic lives of the drivers in this research.

While drivers are concerned with maximizing job and improving their day-to-day routines,

they are also concerned with human issues such as paying their bills, interacting with various

passengers and commuters, associating with their families and friends, and making time for hobbies

and other interests. This study based on observation and interviews with drivers, companions of

drivers and dispatchers seeks to understand drivers’ work and personal lives in the context of the

changing tricycle industry.

 Foremost to get benefit from this study are the motorized tricycle operators in the Province

of Tuguegarao. They would be provided with the information on the money related activities and

financial operations. The data on the sharing system would likewise enlighten them on whether the

system they are adopting is fair to both the operator and the drivers. The income they will earn from

this business will uplift their socio-economic condition in our society. The motorized tricycle

drivers will also be guided by the records of their day by day transactions, and their daily income

will eventually help them to lift them from poverty and in this way improving their socio-economic

situation in the community.

Though existing research acknowledges the nature of tricycle industry, the socio-economic

aspect of the work has not been fully explored, especially in qualitative or subjective research. This

work will add to previous studies in a unique way because this intend to get a broader and extensive

picture of the lives of drivers, not focused only in the work environment.

This is important in terms of understanding drivers’ lives in context, recognizing that work and life

are not separate spheres but instead overlap and interplay (Jang 2009; Kelly and Moen 2007). In a

country of increasingly over-worked people (Schor 1993), we have much to learn from how drivers

negotiate a demanding schedule while also trying to find time for family, housework, and leisure.

We did have several central questions regarding the lives of the drivers in our study, including:

What is the profile of motorized tricycle operators in Tuguegarao? How does working in a high-

stress, long-hours occupation affect the family and personal lives of drivers? What are the problems

encountered, if any, of tricycle driver operators? What are the reasons and explanations behind

choosing tricycle operation as a means of livelihood? Searching for the responses to these and

different inquiries, we worked to gain an understanding of how drivers negotiate the demands

presented by a working life spent behind the wheel of tricycle.

Statement of the Problem

This study assessed the tricycle transportation business in Tuguegarao City. Specifically, it sought

answers to the following sub-problems:

1. What is the profile of motorized tricycle operators in Tuguegarao?

a. Personal

b. Business

2. What are the capital outlays or the financial payments of a tricycle driver?

3. What are the problems encountered, if any, of tricycle driver operators?

4. What are the reasons for choosing tricycle operation as a means of livelihood?

Hypotheses

Theoretical and literature review presented in the succeeding chapter have been used to

develop the hypotheses of this study based on social exchange and agency theories. Furthermore,

the research hypothesis was developed based on insights and observation from Tuguegarao tricycle

transport industry.

Conceptual Framework

Motorized tricycle transportation in Tuguegarao City needs to be studied in order to determine its

prospects for the next years. Assessment and evaluation is imperative since it will determine

whether this type of business is worth venturing into. Assessment and evaluation ranges from

analysis of the personal profile of the operators, analysis of the business profile like capitalization,

income derived from its operation, the sharing system, the mode of acquisition and still many

others.

Similarly, issues that might be encountered over the span of its activity must be determined. One

of the problems is competition. The Philippine business system is advocating competition in an

 open market. Thus, the operator should try to analyze this aspect. Other problems include human

resources problems, adherence to government laws and regulations and the financial problems that

operators might encounter.

When this part of the business is distinguished, prospects of the tricycle transport business

can be likewise determined. If found to be suitable it will result to a sustainable growth in the

business and in the socio-economic life of tricycle drivers.

INPUT
OUTPUT

Socio-economic
Related Factors
PROCESS
Economic Activity An analysis of
 Data Gathering
Socio-economic
 Survey Questions Profile
Tricycle Drivers Profile
of Tricycle Driver
 Data Interpretation
Income

Expenditures

Status

Significance of the Study

As one of the most regularly used public transportation modes in the Philippines, people

from diverse social strata use the tricycle on various events per day at most. Due to its popularity,

it is important to make an evaluation and assessment of the tricycle drivers’ socio-economic life

which aims to get a glimpse on the lives of tricycle drivers, why and how they ended up simply as

tricycle drivers. This study therefore will try to find out the socio-economic life of tricycle drivers

and whether motorized tricycle transportation industry is a business worth venturing in.
 This study benefits primarily the tricycle driver operators themselves for this will help them

to understand the operation and enable them to evaluate or assess the problems encountered in the

business. Through this study, we researchers will also gain knowledge and likewise will serve as

background and added information on how tricycle drivers establish a successful start in this

business field.

The Land Transportations Office (LTO) would equally get advantage from the results of

this investigation. The viewpoints on the issues experienced and encountered by tricycle operators

specifically on government laws and regulations would fill as an eye-opener in the formulation and

implementation of policies, rules, and regulations.

The Local Government Units (LGU’s) would be given information on the viability of

motorized transportation industry and subsequently assign some financial plan to finance this

industry. In the end, this would partly solve unemployment and would help in alleviating poverty

among the masses.

Prospective investors would likewise gain benefit from the after effects of this study. These

investors would be provided with data on the profitability and/or capability of tricycle

transportation business in Tuguegarao.

On the economic situation of Tuguegarao this will spur the economy and monetary

development from multiple points of view, expanding the customer base for a range of services.

Results of this study would also contribute to existing knowledge on tricycle transportation

business. This can also serve as a benchmark data for future researchers and analysts in the fields

of business management.

The general riding public and majority of isolated residents will be provided access to

economic and community activities such as employment, education, health services, social

services, shopping and entertainment.

Scope and Delimitations

This study is based on small-scale transport industry only which may limit a generalization of the

findings in medium, large or different industries.

The study is limited to Tricycles in Tuguegarao City, Philippines alone. This examination centered

on the socio-economic life of tricycle drivers in Tuguegarao City and only units registered with the

Land Transportation Office (LTO) in 2015 onwards is included in this study. The study is

conducted in different barangays in Tuguegarao City which we focused and involved only 100

tricycle operator-drivers based on their location or terminal post where we randomly pick

respondents who were either roaming by their availability or were stationed in their terminal post

in their respective barangays.

The questionnaires and data were collected from tricycle drivers only. To get better results, then

further research needs to be conducted by considering gathering the data from other party. This

study used 100 as the sample size and was adequate as recommended by various scholars, however,

the size was on the minimum threshold and this was due to limit of time when data is being

collected. To obtain more accurate and sufficient results, then further research must consider using

larger sample size than this.

Finally, this study focuses only on specific barangays due to limited time, therefore, researchers

who are intending to do the same kind of study should consider all areas where tricycle transport is

also in use, this will help to get more clear results. Furthermore, this study is based on tricycle

drivers only thus, not covering the entire sector fully leaving a lot of actors in the same industry,

therefore drivers from other modes of transport should be included in future studies to come up

with detailed results on examining the socio economic profile of drivers.

Definition of Terms

For better understanding of the study, some terms are operationally defined :

Profile - It refers to the distinct characteristics of the Tricycle driver like ages and gender in which

researchers believe has bearing in the present study.

Socio economic - Is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped

by social processes. In general it analyzes how societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of

their local or regional economy, or the global economy. Societies are divided into 3 groups:

social, cultural and economic.

Economic- Is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of

goods and services.

Society - Is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group

sharing the same geographical or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority

and dominant cultural expectations.

.Tricycle - It’s a motorcycle with a removable sidecar attached to it. Its structure is composed of

a motorcycle connected to a sidecar which serves as the cabin for the commuters who will be

riding the vehicle.

Direct impacts - The outcome of improved capacity and efficiency where transport provides

employment, added value, larger markets as well as time and costs improvements. The overall

demand of an economy is increasing.

Environmental regulations - Developed countries have reduced the individual vehicle's emission.

However, this has been offset by an increase in the number of vehicles, and increased use of each

vehicle.
Transport law - Is the area of law dealing with transport. The laws can apply very broadly at a

transport system level or more narrowly to transport things or activities within that system such as

vehicles, things and behaviours. environmental impact of transport -is significant because

transport is a major user of energy, and burns most of the world's petroleum. This creates air

pollution, including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a significant contributor to global

warming through emission of carbon dioxide

 Questionnaire

Dear Respondents,

We, the researchers are conducting a research entitled “Socio-economic Life of a Tricycle

Drivers” and with this, we would like to seek for your help to finish our research. Your participation

is well appreciated and we would like to thank you in advance of this manner. We are hoping for

your full participation. Your answer will be important and highly valued for the result of this survey,

and we assure that everything you answered will be held confidentially.

Respectfully yours,

Researchers

________________________________________________________________

I. Profile of the Tricycle Drivers

Name (optional): _______________________ Gender: ________ Age: _____

Civil Status: __ Single __ Married ___ Others (Specify) ________

Educational Attainment: __ College Graduate __High School Graduate __ Elementary

Graduate

Number of Dependents: ___ Number in the family earning for a living: ___

Other Sources of income: ___________________________

Other Skills or job qualifications: _______________________

Numbers of years in tricycle operation: __ 1-2 years __ 3-4 years __ More than 5 years

Number of operating hours (Average): __ 3-5 hours __ 6-8 years ___ More than 8 hours

Amount of capital used in tricycle driving: P ___________________

II. Capital Outlays of a Tricycle Driver

DAILY Accounting of capital outlays (inflows and outflows)

Average Income per day

Other Sources of income

Expenses

Gasoline Expenses P

Boundary Fee

Toda Fee

Basic Needs (e.g. food)

Education for Children

Payment for Credit “utang”

Vices “bisyo”

Others, please specify:

Income/Loss P

III. Problems encountered, if any.

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

IV. Reasons for choosing Tricycle operation as a means of livelihood

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________