Tales of a Tricycle

Tricycles are one of the main modes of transportation through much of the Philippines, alongside the King of the road Jeepney. 

They are basically a small motorcycle with a type of sidecar welded onto the motorcycle frame. The sidecar is a framework consisting of either a bench seat and a single seat opposite, or two bench seats. They have a roof covering the seats, and sometimes the driver as well, and during rainy weather they can be sealed in by a heavy plastic covering. 


Though typically designed for only 3 or 4 passengers, it is not uncommon to see them with 6 passengers. Once the inside seats are filled, passengers can sit behind the driver of the motorcycle, and sometimes either sit or hang onto the back where luggage can be stored or actually on the roof of the sidecar. The vehicle is generally used for shorter trips compared to their larger counterpart, the Jeepney. Though the roads they travel can very congested, being small, they are able to weave through the traffic and move quicker than the larger vehicles around them. It is not uncommon for them to be seen driving up on sidewalks to avoid a traffic jam.

I remember our trip down Tagaytay - It was a rainy morning when we headed down from Tagaytay to visit the Taal Volcano. The road down was very steep and winding, and the air was very cool from the rain. 

The Tricycle was taking the turns at speeds slightly faster than one would assume to be prudent in the weather, but it was not a deterrent to the experienced driver. At each turn I had the uncanny feeling we were going to end up in the trees or plummeting down one of the numerous steep gullies. But despite my apprehension, I knew from experience that the Filipino drivers were more than capable at their jobs. By the time we reached the bottom, the rain had stopped, and I emerged unscathed from the trip. I still had the ride back up later that day, but I knew I was in safe hands.