Do I walk or ride the rickshaw? Examining the factors affecting first- and last-mile trip options in the historic district of Manila (Philippines)

Abstract

Historic urban centers (HUCs) such as the Ermita District in Manila display a compact, mixed, and human-scale urban form. Because of these features, people in these areas still depend on either walking or riding a pedicab (also known as cycle rickshaws) to reach their destinations. The latter mode, considered an informal non-motorized transport (NMT), is widely preferred by commuters as their first- and last-mile trip option to navigate the narrow street network of these historic districts. However, it is unclear what factors affect an individual’s first- and last-mile choices. Through a face-to-face intercept survey, respondents were asked about their relative preference between the two mode choices to capture the factors that influenced their decision to walk or to ride the pedicab within Ermita. By utilizing logit choice analysis, the study identified statistically significant mode-specific, as well as qualitative, variables that influenced individual decisions. The probability outcome showed that the most significant factors were access and/or egress time, cost over travel time, safety, and accessibility of the walking environment. It is also important to note that pedicab users had a longer average trip distance (about a kilometer) than walkers, and women, including those who were accompanied by children, preferred to use pedicabs. Results from this study can help district-level planning and policymaking in three ways: (1) by improving the physical environment through encouraging the use of NMT such as walking and pedicab riding as crucial first- and/or last-mile options for individuals in HUCs; (2) by aligning routes and regulations for pedicab services to be part of an overall transport service provision, and (3) by undertaking infrastructure improvements for safer walkway environments for pedestrians, considering the implications of walking and pedicab riding to individual, population-level health outcomes and overall quality of life.

Socio-Economic and Environmental Analyses of Sustainable Public Transport in the Philippines

“…In 2017, there are around 6.16 million registered motorcycles and tricycles in the country. Other modes of public transport include light rail transit (LRT), buses, all-utility vehicles, taxis, and pedicabs (non-motorized rickshaws) [21].…”

Towards decolonial human subjects in research on transport

“…That subjectification is also mobilised and reproduced routinely in empirical studies of trip-making in Africa and South or South-East Asia (e.g. Amoh-Gyimah and Aido, 2013;Lu et al, 2014;Minal and Ravi Sekar, 2016;Agyemang, 2017;Fillone and Babiano, 2018;Acheampong, 2020). But surely the hegemony of homo economicus began to be dislodged in the 1970s?…”

Re-examination of the standards for transit oriented development influence zones in India

“…It has been shown that passengers who use informal transport modes like pedi-cabs tend to travel approximately 1 km longer than people who walk. (Fillone & Mateo-Babiano, 2018). Compared with cities in developed countries where walking and cycling are the predominant modes for last-mile connectivity, a considerable size of the population in Indian cities relies on these informal modes to reach transit stations.…”