tuk tuks in the philippines

TUK TUK PH spreading the love of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines

Spreading the love of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines

The Tuk Tuk has become an icon in India and Sri Lanka and is loved by tourists from all over the world.

Piaggio produced the first Tuk Tuks in Italy in 1948 and it was advertised as the Vespa car. It was an ideal vehicle for the narrow streets of Italy.

In 1959 Bajaj Auto started to build the Piaggio Ape in India and so started the love of the Tuk Tuk in India. It was regarded as the ideal vehicle to use as a taxi in the overcrowded cities of India.

90 years on and after much improvement the Tuk Tuk is still used as a taxi in India and is still the fastest way to cross the overcrowded cities.

Later Bajaj Started to make their own Tuk Tuks and have gone on to be the number one maker of Tuk Tuks in the world.

It has taken a long time for the Tuk Tuk to arrive in the Philippines but 3 years ago they finally arrived. 

There are three major brands of Tuk Tuks for sale in the Philippines and are TVS, Piaggio and Bajaj, all of them are built in India. 

Local brands there are a couple of brands that claim to be locally made in the Philippines but research seems to point to them being made in China.

Tuk Tuk PH believes that the Tuk Tuk is an ideal vehicle for the Philippines as it is tough enough to go anywhere and small enough to get through the congested streets.

We also believe it could be the answer to a lot of traffic problems as it has such a small footprint on the road. Hopefully, they will allow it to be used as a taxi as it is in many other countries.

There is a fantastic community building up with Tuk Tuk owners in the Philippines and they are forming clubs, holding meetups, and going on runs together. We have made some friends with some really nice people because of Tuk Tuks.

At Tuk Tuk PH we believe the way forward for the Tuk Tuk is to promote safe driving so we gain the respect of the public, so from time to time, we will publish videos promoting safe driving and the correct way to drive.

Tagaytay is the capital of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines and the tourists love them and comment how much they enjoy having a tour of Tagaytay by Tuk Tuk.

Tuk Tuks are now becoming commonly used for parcel deliveries in the Philippines probably the best one being the TVS Kargo.

spreading the love of tuk tuks in the philippines
TVS Kargo in the Philippines

Tuk Tuks in the Philippines is now becoming a very common sight all over the country and it is good to see some areas are replacing the tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar) that was the main form of taxi before.

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TUK TUK PH spreading the love of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines 5

Since we wrote this article Tuk Tuk PH has become a dealer for Tuk Tuks in the Philippines and for legal reasons we could not register the name Tuk Tuk PH as a business, as in the Philippines a business can not have PH in its name.

For this reason, Tuk Tuk PH has changed its name to Tuk Tuk 3-Wheelers.

While we are now a business we will still continue to fight for the rights of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines and will still promote them as a better form of public transport for the country. The reasons behind this is firstly safety of passengers and drivers.

Why are they called tuk-tuks?

Tuk-Tuks are named after the sound they make while running. The name “tuk-tuk” comes from the sound of the engine, which sounds like “tuk-tuk-tuk”. Tuk-tuks are also known by other names in different parts of the world, such as auto-rickshaws and three-wheelers.
Other research shows that the name could come from the word Tukxi which was used in Italy.

Do they use tuk-tuks in the Philippines?

Yes, Tuk Tuks are used in the Philippines, and they are fast replacing tricycles because they are a better safer vehicle for the job. However, in the Philippines, they are commonly called “three-wheelers,” “Bao Bao,” or “Bukyo,” instead of Tuk Tuks.

What is Tuk Tuk called in the Philippines?

Tuk Tuk is not commonly used to refer to these vehicles in the Philippines. Instead, they are called “three-wheelers,” “Bao Bao,” or “Bukyo.” Other terms that people may use include “tri-wheelers,” but that is technically an incorrect term.

Is a Tuk Tuk a tricycle?

No, in the Philippines, a Tuk Tuk is not classified as a tricycle. According to Philippine law, a tricycle is defined as a motorcycle with a sidecar attached, while Tuk Tuks are classified as “three-wheelers” due to their unique design and structure. Additionally, they are also referred to as “Bao Bao” or “bukyo” in the country.

4 thoughts on “TUK TUK PH spreading the love of Tuk Tuks in the Philippines”

    1. avatar of allan r

      At the moment electric Tuk Tuks are not happening in the Philippines for a few reasons. There was a local made brand but the drivers informed us that they were running out of charge just 3 to 4 hours into their shift. Another problem is the lack of infrastructure there are very few charging points. And then there is the price a good brand of electric Tuk Tuk is over 100,000 pesos more than the petrol equivalent.

    2. avatar of percival toms

      Allen fantastic subject I’m in Spain coming to live in Philo I will look you up, well done for everybody brilliant subject matter, I will certainly look at buying a tuk tuk

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