Calbayog Jeep or Tricycle?

Lets scrutinize this photo that I took at the Calbayog public market. Tricycle, right? Yep, its a motorbike at center so its a tricycle. But that's just it, about this thing’s being a trike! Actually, if you count, there are four wheels, so it is technically already a quadcycle hehe. And for all intents and purposes, it acts and serves the public like a jeep! Notice the rear tires, those are of the jeep or car types!

Its not also a tuktuk, since it has no reverse gear – and it does not, can not fly on the road! Its the Calbayog version of long-haul tricycles for trips to distant barangays. Ironically (to me at least), this thing is called the "Center Cab" because, driver says, the motorbike is at center if the caja (cab)! No, they don't use it for transport within the city center since they have another vehicle for that – the real tricycle that is pedal-powered! Plus they even also have the normal “motorized” tricycles where the motorbike is on the side.

Drawn to the mighty utility of this thing, I went for a closer look.

My count tells me 11 passengers can be loaded maximum – one each on either side of the driver, four each on either side of the main cab, and one behind the diver (on the motorbike’s rear, that is actually in between the knees of the frontmost passengers inside the cab). But driver says capacity is 15 passengers. Hmm, I did not ask anymore but until now I cannot imagine hehe!

Up the roof can be loaded cargoes that could be as heavy as sacks of rice or even heavier. And the rest of the load may also be tied at the rear section, otherwise other passengers may stand there and cling to whatever they can get hold on to! Oh, that guy in cream colored polo with green leaf prints... he is a Caucasian on the large side but seems to be just fine with the ride! I saw him perspiring a lot before that thing went off!

Oh well, the rides of our times hehe! Faaantastic!

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