Chapter 1: The Tricycle

A picture I snapped on a tricycle as I was about to go to school.
Apparently, because of my school is a private institution they can
increase the payment they wish of us. Not to mention that student's
are entitled to a discount. photo by vincent via Samsung Galaxy Pocket

   
Zamboanga City. What does one think when they hear the word Zamboanga? Most are scared to go here to our "glorious" city because of the images imprinted to it. People think of bombings, death, and stuff like that. Well, believe me, the people of Zamboanga City does not really deal with such problems often, and by that I mean it is rare in the city proper to experience bombings.

     A major concern I personally want to discuss would be something far less dangerous sounding. Don't be fooled though, this thing has been like CULTURE for these people. What I am talking about is the uselessness of the fare matrix and its apparent design-only-purpose according to some tricycle drivers. On one account, when presented with the right amount of payment based on the fare matrix PRINTED ON THE TRICYCLE ITSELF (or atleast somewhere close to the exact amount), the driver snapped. He demanded for a higher price saying that the payment we were giving him is not sufficient. He then threw the cash we gave him back to us, then left. We were unable to get his plate number because of how fast he left and I personally don't have a good eyesight to read stuff a little far away.

   
     I am but a single soul in this city. I am a nobody whose voice could rarely be heard, but I have had enough of their crap. I've been documenting how drivers in the city act and it shows that the better you look, the higher their payment will be. From my place to my school, the distance is at about 3.6 to 3.8 kilometers, depending on what route one would take. Following the current fare matrix, (The one that can be seen printed on a tricycle), we can solve for what the payment should be. However, based on online threads[1] and some tricycle drivers themselves,  the Fare Matrix printed on their vehicles are not updated. Regardless, the matrix still should stand even if it is not printed on the tricycle... or should the tricycle even be on the road if the matrix is not printed?... or does the government even know of our problems (Ofcourse they do. I just wonder why action regarding this problem is nowhere near visible)?

These series of screenshots I got from my phone shows that the distance between the place where I currently stay, is approximately 3.6 km if we use the route shown in the left, and 3.8 km if we use the route in the center (which is the one tricycle drivers use). screenshots taken by vincent via Samsung Galaxy Pocket

     Referring to the center screenshot above, the distance between my school and the place where I stay is somewhere around 3.8 kilometers. Tricycle drivers usually ask for P50.00, and on very rare occasions P40.00. When I was a kid, I was wondering how far a kilometer was. Why? We were paying P20.00 as fare. I remembered that the fare had an initial price of P2.00 per passenger in the first kilometer and an additional P1.00 for succeeding kilometers (correct me if I'm wrong). It was me, mom, and dad. We were  going  That makes P6.00, and additional P3.00 per kilometer after the first kilometer, that makes a total of P7.80 (2.6km x P3.00 = P7.80). Now, add P7.80 to P6.00 and we will get P13.80. Well, lets just make it P15.00. Note that I counted myself, a child. I'm supposed to be a freeloader, I counted myself anyway. Now, where did these drivers get the P5.00 excess? Back then, your P5.00 can do so much more compared to what it has become in 2013. Well, the fare matrix I've been seeing these days say something (correct me again if I'm wrong) P8.00 on the first kilometer and an additional of P2.00 the following kilometer/s. Now, using this "updated" matrix we solve for the fare of one man when going to a 3.8 km trip, let's just make it 4 km to make things simple. P8.00 on the first kilometer, and three more kilometers will give you P6.00. Add the two, P14.00. Note that the P14.00 does not include the discount on students. So if you're a student, and you're going to ride a tricycle and go somewhere 4 km away, you're supposed to pay at most P14.00. Well, in the case I am currently experiencing, I am paying P40.00-P50.00, and that is way more than what the matrix is saying.

     I've been google-ing the latest fare matrix of Zamboanga City and failed to find the latest one that could probably minimize the discrepancy of the prices these drivers are asking (if indeed the P8.00 for first km and additonal P2.00 for the next kms matrix is not the latest as of January 2013). I'll keep you people updated.

Related Online Articles:    

[1] - http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=74516491

[  ] - http://balita.ph/2012/02/23/dot-wants-stop-to-overcharging-of-tricycle-passengers-from-zambo-airport/

[  ] - http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/10366--ltfrb-reminds-pujs-to-grant-fare-discounts.html

[  ] - http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/top-stories/4311-guingona-plans-to-revisit-trike-ordinance.html