Tricycles plying the Magsaysay Street. According to some, Sorsogon City has the most no. of tricycles in the street.
Tricycle is one of the most practical mode of transport in Sorsogon City, which goes with the other cities in the country.
In places where public transportation is scarce, a creative tricycle driver can squeeze in 9 passengers – 4 inside, 2 clinging in the side car, 2 at the back of the driver, and 1 more clinging behind the motorcycle! Normally, it should only carry 3 passengers on its side car and 2 more behind the driver.
Rizal Street @ 530pm. This view is towards north, to Sorsogon Capitol.
In Sorsogon, the tricycle terminal is in Plaza Bonifacio, beside the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral and Graceland fastfood. In the old days, it was located between Footstep and China Bank (it was an open area before), just in front of the Sorsogon Wet Market (aka Plasa in local parlance). Then, they transferred to Calle Nueva.
Twenty years ago, it was very difficult to get a tricycle at 7pm going to Sts. Peter and Paul Ville Subdivision, let alone to OLV-Bibincahan, which is 1 km farther than the former. Nowadays, you can get a ride to the farthest point of Bibincahan even if you are the only passenger (additional 2 pesos or you pay for 2 passengers). You can even ask the tricycle driver to take to Bacon Beach; last time I did this, the driver charged me PHP100. I also pay PHP50 if I can’t wait for a jeepney going to Ticol area.
A tricycle entering Brgy. Cambulaga.
I was able to talk to one of my friends who is a tricycle driver in Sorsogon City. He told me that the city has the most no. of tricycles on the road compared to other places in the Bicol region. Apparently, Brgy. Bibincahan has the most number of tricycles amongst the drivers-operators association. In total, he thinks that there are 5,000 tricycles on the road of Sorsogon City.
One of the most interesting topic with the tricycle drivers is the illegal tricycle units – colorum, they call it. My friend estimates that there are around almost 2,000 colorum units actively picking up passengers in the city. And if you ask other tricycle drivers, they will give you almost the same figures, 1,500, 1,800, etc. And these drivers that I talked to blame the illegal tricycle units for the heavy traffic in Centro during rush hours.
I talked to several tricycle drivers and they are definite about the impact of these illegal units to their earnings, however, they are also resigned on the situation that nothing will happen. To make it worse, those driving the illegal tricycle units are also well known to those who do drive legal ones – sometimes they are neighbors and friends!
Numerous tricycles in Rizal street around mid-afternoon, which is considered start of peak hours.
Magsaysay Street, facing West. It’s only recently that the tricycles are color coded (which the author can’t still figure out). Circa Mar’18
The rear skirt of the tricycles are normally reserve for humor (or at least, humor of 30 years ago). I won’t be surprised if the driver gets a complaint soon in Facebook.
We call such passenger riding on the cargo bay of the tricycle as baklod (backload). Normally this is not allowed anymore, but I am not surprised to encounter it in the province.
Related Links:
Sorsogon City 
dont you think this is because there is not much employment opportunity for the people in the place? that everyone have to drive a tricycle na lang. i am glad you wrote about this, it IS too Sorsi, if you know what i mean. i have always thought about this tricycle mess, its all over. i am not complaining though, when im home its my only mode of transpo and i love them =). sana lang magkaigwa sin ibang line of work an mga people…but i guess industries haven’t been opening up…or i might have been away for so long, i really have no idea.
Hi Elay,
You are right, one of the biggest factors is the lack of job opportunities in our place. Worse, I heard some stories (this was way back 15 years ago) na there were some who earned their BS degrees in college, but preferred to be employed in PNOC – since there was no assurance, they simply drove tricycles while waiting. Of course, very few would qualify. Sad story.
I think that it will take generations before we can minimize this – just take a look at the jeepneys. Before it was the pride of our country, IMHO, now it’s a reflection of the backwardness of our manufacturing capabilities.
If the figure is 1,800 trikes, make it now 1,799 ‘coz my trike stays now in my car (trike)port. I terminated my driver a month ago. Ang dahilan? Lumalabas lang siya kung kelan niya gusto. Masuwerte na kung makabuo siya limang beses sa isang linggo. Pangalawa, ‘di man lang niya “mapaliguan” ang tricy ko kahit puro na putik.
Traffic congestions in the city starts from 4pm to 7pm. That is also the best time for the tricycle drivers. Sometimes they became choosy on this hours. Di ka nila hihintuan pag mag-isa ka lang (which is illegal as per LTFRB).
Hi Gideon 300,
Tama ka diyan. My mother who lives in our beloved city started having her lunch in school. Masakitun kuno maghanap sin tricycle pag lunch time, considering the no. of available tricycles in the city! Ano kaya ang ginagawa ng local government?
Hi…i am an employee of the Quezon City Government under the Dept. of Public Order and Safety. Our primary job is to regulate the operation of tricycle and to apprehend unauthorized units (colorum) plying in our streets. Recently in the local newspaper that Sorsogon City has passed City Ordinance No. 23, series of 2011 based on the Resolution No. 296, series of 2011..This ordinance was authored by Councilor Victorino N. Daria III of the east District. The ordinance talks about on controlling colorum units by way of restricting the fabrication of sidecar.. Also the ordinance has stopped issuing franchise to tricycles and has issued notices to sidecar fabricators..Can you help us in securing a copy of this ordinance, even thru email, so our office can recommend to our local city council to passed a similar ordinance…We also think that by this method, we can control the proliferation of tricycles in Quezon City..Thank you and hope to hear from you soon…God Bless.
Hi Sir,
Thank you for that information. Let me check with some friends and get back to you.
Sorsogon City
Hi Sir,
I found his, Victorino Daria, in FB. You may want to get in touch with him directly. I also sent him a PM.
Sorsogon City
Hi Sir,
You may want to check the latest article I re-published – City Councilor Daria challenged colleagues to rid corruption at city hall.
Sorsogon City
Thanks for the quick response..I’ll get in touch with the councilor…
I like the idea that some people are enterprizing enough to offer a means of transportation to fellow human beings via a tricycle. Right or wrong in the eyes of the law I applaude the drivers.
Pingback: Sorsogon City Mayor’s staff tagged as syndicate mastermind of fake franchise | Sorsogon City
Pingback: City Councilor Daria challenged colleagues to rid corruption at city hall | Sorsogon City
Pingback: Sadto nan Niyan – Pag Drive sa Dating Banwa kan Sorsogon nan Bacon | Sorsogon City