Katipunan Avenue is well-known for having a lot of traffic, especially during rush hours.

In response to the growing number of vehicles going through Katipunan Ave., a new traffic scheme was implemented mid-September by the Metro Manila Development Authority. This new traffic scheme was met with much criticism during its initial implementation phase. The new stoplights especially earned the ire of the public, because they caused longer waiting times and somewhat less convenient routes.

However, it seems that the new traffic scheme has not just caused annoyance in inconvenienced drivers with private cars. It has caused a much more significant problem for those who already have a hard time making ends meet—specifically, tricycle drivers.

Jun*, who has been providing trike service to the Ateneo for a little over five years now, shares that his daily income used to reach P500—now, it has gone down to P200 to P300. He says that the traffic on Katipunan Ave. that is caused by the new traffic scheme accounts for the drastic drop in his income.

The adverse effects that the new traffic scheme brought about provokes questions about how the university consults with external bodies. In this case, how did the Ateneo consider the trike drivers in making decisions that would affect them?

Setting the scene

Trikes that do not have the Ateneo sticker are not allowed to enter the campus even if they surrender their licenses to the guards. For trike drivers to be issued Ateneo stickers, they—and their vehicles—must undergo thorough inspection. From the trikes’ features to the driver’s documents, the university ensures that trikes given the Ateneo stickers pass certain standards. Having the Ateneo sticker means that the trike drivers must comply with a multitude of rules and regulations when they are on campus, or else they will face suspension from entering the campus for a set period of time.

Of the 250 trikes that are given the Ateneo sticker every year, 125 of these are from the Tricycle Driver and Operator Association (TODA)-Loyola Heights division, and another 125 are from TODA-Loyola Pansol. These trikes are identifiable with white and green sidecars, respectively.

According to Josephy Almosera, assistant director of the Facilities Management Office, the university recognizes that the trikes help minimize the volume of cars that go through the campus. After all, the space they occupy in the road network is relatively small and that students who take trikes will not have to take their private cars to school as well.

In communicating with the trike drivers, the university, represented by the Campus Safety and Mobility Office (CSMO), usually invites representatives of TODA to a meeting. Marcelino Mendoza, director of the CSMO, shares that it is either the TODA—or, just recently, the Sanggunian—that brings up the concerns to their office and calls for a meeting.

In a memorandum released by the Sanggunian Committee on Administrative Services dated December 3, 2014, it is stated that the new traffic scheme is the cause of the rising number of complaints on the overpricing of some trike drivers. However, it seems that trike drivers tend to overprice as a response to the longer routes and wait times they have to go through on campus to get to passengers. In the end, what looks like overpricing is really just the trike drivers adjusting to the new traffic scheme to make ends meet.

As a result

Jay*, a trike driver working around Loyola Pansol, shares that the Ateneo does not really consult all of TODA when it comes to traffic-related concerns. If the Ateneo wants to implement certain changes or take certain actions, the offices concerned would only talk to the officials of TODA.

Jay expresses frustration with this system, especially since some power dynamics exists in their relationship. “Iyong opisyales namin ngayon, kulang sa katwiran eh. Kumbaga, ‘pag may sinabi iyong mas mataas sa kanya o kaya mas ‘head’ sa kanya, hindi niya kami ipaglalaban (TODA’s incumbent officials lack reasoning. So, if someone who has a higher position than him or her says something, he or she would not fight for us).”

Despite the changes in the traffic scheme, the trike fare matrix that is implemented now is still the very same one that was implemented on August 4, 2011. The matrix is outdated and was put in place even before Fr. Masterson Drive became a one-way road.

Ricardo “Boy” Bacat, a trike driver who has been serving Ateneans for 15 years now, shares that his income has drastically gone down. He shares that before this new traffic scheme, he used to earn P600 on a good day. With the new traffic scheme, his daily income is around P300 to P400.

On how trike drivers’ routes have been affected, Bacat shares, “Malayo na iyong iniikutan namin. Hindi kagaya dati na nakakasingit kami, tuloy-tuloy (The routes have become longer, unlike before, when we could just cut in front of other cars and drive continuously).”

Aside from concerns inside the campus, the congestion along Katipunan Ave. itself adversely affects them. Jay says, “Dati, ‘di ba pagkatapos ng rush hour, wala nang traffic sa Katipunan? Ngayon, kahit mga 8:00 o 9:00 [PM], grabe pa rin ang traffic sa Katipunan (Before, after rush hour, there was no more traffic along Katipunan Ave., right? Now, even at 8:00 or 9:00 PM, the traffic on Katipunan Ave. is still bad).”

Jay, however, says he understands that the trike drivers and the university both benefit from each other. He points out, “Nakikinabang sa ‘min iyong Ateneo, nakikinabang din kami dito sa loob (The Ateneo benefits from us, and we also benefit from them).”

In the school

Based on the current trike fare matrix, a ride from inside the Ateneo to Katipunan Ave.—or vice versa—costs P22 for students and senior citizens and P25 for regular citizens. According to Mendoza, the CSMO recognizes that the 2011 trike fare matrix is “no longer suitable” because of the longer times that the trikes take to get in and out of the campus.

In response to the complaints about overpricing, last November 27, 2014, Mawe Duque, chairman of the Sanggunian Committee on Administrative Services (CAS), had a meeting with CSMO and TODA representatives from both Loyola Pansol and Loyola Heights.

Duque shares that their discussions were about the proposal of a new trike fare matrix that is expected to take effect in January 2015. In the proposed matrix, this will increase to P30 (P24 for students).

The university and TODA’s relationship was not just brought about by the new traffic scheme; in fact, there are several instances in the past where they worked together.

Almosera shares that trikes have long been permitted to counter-flow the small distance from the Gonzaga Hall drop-off exit to the trike terminal. The Gonzaga trike terminal along Fr. Masterson Drive is located a few meters before the Gonzaga drop-off entrance area.

During the introduction of the electric jeepneys (e-jeeps) in campus last year, Almosera recalls that the trike drivers along with TODA had complaints. He shares that during the first stage of implementation of the e-jeeps, the drivers said that they were getting less passengers, which Almosera expected, given that riding the e-jeeps was free and the trikes was not. He adds that they explained to the trike drivers how the university’s pursuit of being an eco-friendly campus has led them to implement environmentally sustainable transportation.

In response to this, Almosera points out that the new e-shuttle terminals are placed “in consideration to the trikes.” The e-shuttles have terminals in the Ateneo Grade School, the Ateneo High School, John Gokongwei Student Enterprise Center and Xavier Hall, while the main trike terminals are in the Gonzaga Hall drop-off area and the Gate 2.5 overpass.

Adjustments

The administration and the Ateneo students have not ignored the concerns of trike drivers about the new traffic scheme. The proposal of a new trike fare matrix shows that close coordination between the university and the trike drivers has been happening.

Duque says the CSMO has been tasked to measure the distances between the Ateneo and certain establishments on Katipunan Ave. He also says that the Sanggunian will meet with the CSMO, the Office of Student Activities and the Office of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs to recompute the rates for trike fare matrix. This new rate will most likely be implemented in February 2015, and this project will be implemented by next year’s Sanggunian. Additionally, the university will present the new matrix to TODA in February, showing that the university is working toward better consultation.

Even though taking trikes may not be an everyday experience for all Ateneans, it is certain that the service the trike drivers provide is beneficial to the university. Changing times make for changing situations in the university’s endeavors. Adjustments have been made to address all those who are affected by changes like the e-shuttle program and the new traffic scheme. In the true spirit of being men and women for others, the Ateneo has not overlooked the importance of trikes to the university.

Editor’s Note: Jay and Jun declined to disclose their last names.