Transportation is the public conveyance of passengers or goods from one location to

another, especially as a commercial enterprise. According to Amegashie and Barnes,

transportation is defined as an activity that primarily is concerned with providing increasing

human satisfaction through the changing of geographical location and the position of people and

goods. Transportation is considered a key factor in the socioeconomic growth of any country.

Efficient transportation does not only facilitate spatial interaction and reduces the friction of

distance, but it is also a precondition for the effective economic, social, and political

development of a country. There is a very strong relationship between economic growth and

transportation.

Transportation is the movement of goods and persons from place to place and the various

means by which such movement is accomplished (Britannica, 2018), which commonly are by

rail, air, water, road, and pipelines (Manoj, 2019). Transportation is central to every economy. It

aids in the smooth movement of people, and goods, and directly affects service delivery.

Commuters consider safety, availability, affordability, reliability, comfortability, and efficiency

in deciding on means of transport (Litman, 2017). Transportation is a crucial element in

development, and this affects the socioeconomic and political interaction that most people take

for granted (Button & Hensher, 2021). Transportation has a significant influence on human lives.

For instance, various means of transport have dramatically impacted businesses, homes, and

schools, thereby making a unique contribution to industrial development, living arrangement as

well as the physical and social movement of people. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles, trains, and

airplanes are popular means of transportation across the world. Tricycles have become an

increasingly acceptable means of transport, especially in the developing world.

 Tricycles as a means of road transport are vehicles similar to a bicycle, but having three

wheels, two at the back and one at the front (Oxford Press, 2017). Tricycles have become more

vital to the socioeconomic development of individuals and society. In several fragments of the

world, including China, India, France, the Philippines, and Nigeria, tricycles are widely used.

Some reasons for its adaptability include its affordability and availability. It is also efficient

amidst heavy vehicular traffic. This system of transportation is believed to have considerably

improved the lives of many people, including the operators, owners, and users. However, the

question is whether this alternative mode of transport has solved the existing problems such as

limited access and higher fares charged by taxi cabs, trucks, buses, and motorbikes. Also, has

there been any improvement or increase in economic activities because of the introduction of

tricycles? These thoughts have received little attention from researchers, particularly the in the

Philippines context since the country is becoming an economic hub in South East Asia.

Economic growth has always been dependent on increasing the capacity and rationality of

transportation. Due to the way modern cities and communities are planned and operated, a

physical distinction between home and work is usually created, forcing people to transport

themselves to places of work, study, or leisure, as well as to temporarily relocate for other daily

activities. Commerce requires the transport of people to conduct business. According to some

laws related to transportation and regulations, a reliable and affordable road transport system

plays a key role in the socioeconomic development of the Philippines.

In many developing countries such as in Asia, motorcycles and tricycles are used as the

main means of transportation, especially, among low-income urban dwellers and the poor. The

choice of motorcycles and tricycles as an alternative means of transport in solving urban mobility

problems of towns in the Philippines has introduced varying dimensions of issues including
traffic accidents and safety on the roads, registration issues, employment, and maintenance

activities. Various types of research have been conducted on the issues of motorcycle traffic

accidents, motorcycle traffic management in motorcycle-dependent cities, and commercial

motorcycle operations among others. In Quezon City, the tricycle transportation business (TTB)

has literally taken over as the main commercial transportation system, hence the situation is not

different from the results of Dinye and Ahmed; Banthia et al., and Adesanya.

As transportation has positive impacts on socioeconomic systems, there are also negative

consequences such as congestion, accidents, and mobility gaps. The mode of transportation in

Quezon City was poorly managed and operated. This limited peoples’ access to workplaces,

health care centers, schools, and market centers. This had a negative effect on the growth of the

local economy of Quezon City since transportation systems are closely related to socio-economic

changes.

The introduction of tricycles, whose role is being described as paratransit and as a gap filler

in the public transportation system of most developing nations are helping to close the

transportation gap. Paratransit, in this case, is referred to as an auxiliary service provider without

routes or schedules (Cervero, 2020). Unlike the old traditional trucks, tricycles are faster and

more convenient (Asiedu, 2015). It is essential to say that most road users use buses, tricycles,

and motorcycles, while some use taxis (Ismail, Adeniji, & Paul, 2018). The increase in the city

population, mainly those leaving in far and reduced neighborhoods away from business districts,

is one of the main reasons why there is a demand for the services of tricycles. It is generally held

that smooth movement is an indicator of development, with constructive economic and social

outcomes from investment in transport (World Bank, 2019). As highlighted by the Transport
Resource Centre (2020), appropriate transportation is required for achieving the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs).

Paratransit business is available not only in developing countries but also in some

developed countries. The paratransit sector, generally speaking, ranges from one-person

rickshaws to 25 passengers minibusses. Tanaboriboon and Madrona (2020) presented a range of

paratransit services and their comparative benefits as well as drawbacks. These related studies

have noted that the reason why such modes remain, if not continued to increase, is because of

their socioeconomic values. Economically, as a source of employment for the driver and as well

as the income it provides in the process of its operation.

Moreover, paratransit services, if poorly organized, cause vigorous and unhealthy

competition leading to overloading and indiscriminate pick-up or drop-off of passengers away

from designated areas, thus lowering the quality of service (Shimazaki & Rahman, 2016). The

tricycle business operation is a source of urban employment for both young and old because it

offers job opportunities for skilled and unskilled persons, many of whom have migrated from

rural areas (Shimazaki et al., 2016; Cervero, 2020; Vuchic, 2017). However, the condition and

performance of public transport are ineffective and inefficient, ineffective, and in decline. This,

in turn, left people and the market to develop alternatives and creative solutions to addressing

their daily travel needs, hence, adopting tricycles as a means of movement in addition to public

transport (Button & Hensher, 2021).

The use of tricycles has become the mode of transportation in most developing cities of the

world. Tricycle (motorized and non-motorized) is the prime mode of intra-city transportation

though considered an informal sector, its impact on transportation and management is beyond

question. In China, working tricycles continue to provide social and economic needs despite the
threat of being phased out due to the neoliberal mobility developing within the city. In India, the

same mode of transportation is used by common people which posed a major challenge to the

growing population on how the government would maintain good air quality. In Nigeria, the use

of motorized tricycles is encouraged within the city limits to decongest the traffic. In Metro

Manila, Philippines, it is the prevailing mode of transportation using secondary streets that

occupies the front seat in local policymaking in local governance and urban development. In

Quezon City Philippines, this mode of transportation comprises more than 50% of conveyances

in view of the limited routes that jeepneys could take.

The motorized tricycle is a kind of motor vehicle from the Philippines that compromises a

motorcycle that is attached to a for-hire sidecar. This is a very popular mode of transportation in

small towns and cities, most especially in rural areas. According to Wikipedia, Passenger

tricycles can accommodate room four passengers up to as many as six or more, excluding the

driver. Goods can be placed on the roof. One or two passengers can sit behind the driver while

several more can sit in the sidecar, depending upon the design. Additional passengers can sit on

the roof or stand hanging onto the side or back of the sidecar. In rainy weather, a tricycle will be

completely enclosed in a heavy plastic covering. Tricycles are often painted colorfully, like

jeepneys. Fares are less than taxi fares (if the city or municipality has taxis), yet more expensive

than jeepney fares. Fares range from ₱10 to ₱250, depending on the locality and the distance to

be ridden. Inside cities, tricycles often operate as shared taxis, where passenger fares are

calculated per passenger and after the distance traveled. These fares are close to the fares of

jeepneys. For longer journeys or in areas with heavy tourism, the driver will usually request that

the passenger hire the whole tricycle and negotiate a "special fare", which will then be a private

hire. Many tricycles, mostly in urban areas, are now being replaced with a local version of tuk-
tuks which has superior engines and seating space. While technically not a tricycle as its private

versions is not forbidden on national roads, they are treated as advanced versions of tricycles and

deployed as such. Another take of the upgrade to better tricycles is the one undertaken in Manila.

It is fully electric and distributed by a local company with a major Japanese partnership. Based

on statistics last 2018, there are 4.5 million registered tricycles in the Philippines, and more than

2 million are new motorcycles, the primary engine of the tricycle, that are registered in the first

ten months of 2018.

Based on the study by SACTRA, stated that The Transportation and Local Economy

Theory, states that people and businesses demand transportation in order to enable them to carry

out their desired activities. For individuals, this might be reflected in changes in commuting

patterns or holiday destinations. For businesses, the impact might be felt in terms of new sources

of supplies, reorganization of production, or access to more distant markets. However, attainment

of the benefit that individuals and businesses achieve contributes to the growth of an economy.

There are suggestions that when transportation schemes create employment that is ill-founded,

there could be no additional benefits to be obtained through Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) for job

creation. All sectors within an economy rely on efficient transportation for their activities hence

a reliable sector for economic growth. In a macroeconomic sense, transportation activities form a

portion of a nation’s total economic product and play a role in building or strengthening a

national or regional economy and as an influence in the development of land and other resources.

In a microeconomic sense, transportation involves relations between firms and individual

consumers. The demand for and supply of transportation for both passengers and freight,

transportation pricing, and the reasons why the transportation system is both regulated and

deregulated are among its concerns. Finally, the government’s involvement in each mode of
transportation differs. In some instances private enterprise is used; in others, the government

provides the facilities and equipment, especially if the rationale for government involvement is

that a strong transportation system is necessary for developing the nation’s economy or for its

defense. The government’s involvement in transportation has both a macro- and a

microeconomic significance.

This research study entitled "The Correlation of Economic Factors, Age, and Social Bracket

to Provisional Fare Rate of Tricycles in Quezon City" is can be associated with The

Transportation and Local Economy Theory for the reason of when transport systems are

deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, they can have an economic cost, such as reduced or

missed opportunities and lower quality of life. At the aggregate level, efficient transportation

reduces costs in many economic sectors, while inefficient transportation increases these costs.

Public transportation is critical to the people, especially in the Philippines who use it and even

those who do not. It is a lifeline for many as it provides mobility options, generates jobs, spurs

economic growth, and supports public policies regarding energy use, air quality, and carbon

emissions. All of these are important elements when it comes to considering the benefits, costs,

and optimal investment levels of public transportation. This theory is can be associated with this

research study for the reason of, first, transportation creates both direct and indirect employment.

Transportation can facilitate geographic and employment mobility in response to shifting

economic activity such as in response to the forces of globalization, new technological

opportunities, and a rising labor market. Transportation creates employment in so many ways

such as drivers, fuel attendants, personnel for road maintenance, and other employment

opportunities. People are needed to fix in all these areas mentioned for employment where there

is efficient transportation. Nationally, transportation improvements are unlikely to have a large

effect on the employment rate, though may do so in some local circumstances but tricycles

transportation has been a reliable source of employment in Quezon City for quite some time

now. Next is business efficiency, through time savings and improved reliability for business

travelers, freight, and logistics operations, businesses are able to increase efficiency. A reduction

in travel time for all businesses traveling on the road network could generate cost savings of

GDP; increasing business investment and innovation by supporting economies of scale or new

ways of working. A change in regulations could help investors to increase the level of their

business and also find new ways of making the business attractive. And last is enhanced

mobility, which is very important in undertaking businesses and other economic growth

indicators. The effects of mobility could enhance or affect negatively the performance of a

business or a person’s activities. Transportation improvements can allow businesses to trade over

a wider area, increasing competitive pressure and providing consumers with more choices. A

well-connected, so significant competition impacts are most likely to be felt from the integration

of markets globally. Where there is a reliable transportation system, people can compete in the

market because each and everyone can also get access to new markets in the Municipality. In the

wider impact where all the direct impact indicators are used, there will be business efficiency or

growth, employment will be created and mobility is enhanced. And all the indications of the

wider impact will improve the standard of the peoples living which will increase the economic

growth of the Municipality since a good standard of living is an indicator of economic growth.