Philippines Public Transportation: This Is How We Travel

Today, I want to share some of the public transportation options that you can ride in the Philippines. Aside from taxi cabs, city buses, and metro trains, there are many other public transportation options available in the country. However, not all places have these types of transportation, as it depends on the city and its regulations. Additionally, some of these transportation options are only permitted to travel on non-national roads.

You may have already seen some of these public transportation options on Filipino YouTube channels. I'm not familiar with the public transportation options in other Southeast Asian countries, but one that I know is the Tuk Tuk in Thailand, which I'm personally afraid to ride due to the fast driving.

Without further ado, here are some of the public transportation options that you can ride in the Philippines:

Jeepney: This is a well-known mode of transportation, especially for those who have visited the Philippines. It is a 20-seater passenger jeep that picks you up and drops you off along its designated route. You can simply wave your hand to signal the driver, and they will stop in front of you. In fact, even if you don't try to get its attention, it will often stop for you if you're standing on the roadside, assuming you're waiting for a ride.

Tricycle: This is a motorbike with a cab attached. It can seat up to six passengers, including the driver. Three passengers can sit inside the cab (including a side seat), and two can sit at the back. Tricycles are only allowed on inner roads and are not permitted on national roads. People often ride tricycles when they need to transport goods, such as after shopping in the wet market, or when traveling to places not serviced by jeepneys. Many provinces with tourist destinations, like La Union, have this type of transportation.

Pedicab: This is the manual version of the tricycle. It is called a pedicab because you need to pedal to make it move. It has large wheels, allowing for faster movement.

If you detach the cab, it looks like the bikes you see in Korean and Japanese movies.

The purpose of the pedicab is similar to the tricycle, and the fare price is generally the same. Among the three options mentioned, my favorite is the pedicab because it may be slower, but it is more comfortable than the jeepney and tricycle.

I would love to hear about the different types of public transportation in your country. Please share them in the comment section so that we can learn about them as well.