Another Senate bill stating what a tricycle is.

The Bajaj RE is not fitted with a sidecar in any form so under the definition by the House of Congress of the Republic of the Philippines an RE is not a Tricycle.

So what is a BAJAJ RE if it is not a tricycle?

In English it is a Tuk-Tuk that is the name given to it my the English when they first saw it in India, the name came about because the noise the old 2-stroke engines used to make.

In India and other countries in Asia it is an auto-rickshaw.

In most countries in the world a Bajaj RE is registered as a three-wheeler or a three-wheeled motor vehicle, which gives them the same rights on the road as a car apart from the fact you can drive them ever with a motorcycle license or a car license.

In the Philippines they seem to register a Bajaj RE as ever a non-conventional motor vehicle or a non-conventional motorcycle.

Bajaj RE and Security Guards

The main offenders of causing a Bajaj RE rider problems seem to be security guards in Mall car parks. Or security guards on private roads. There has also been a few cases of traffic enforces claiming it is a tricycle and giving a ticket for using it on a highway, we will come to this point later.

If a security guard stops you entering a car park, argue your case, if you turn round and go away it makes him think he was correct and he will make life difficult for all other Bajaj RE owners.

Point out the points above and also point out that your money is as good as a car owners money, just because you choose to drive a vehicle with 3 wheels and not 4 does not mean you will not spend as much money in the mall. Drivers of 3 wheelers should not be classed as second class citizens and should have the same rights as drivers of 4 wheeled vehicles. If all else fails ask to the rules in writing regarding 3 wheeled vehicles, you will probably find if there is a rule it says tricycles which means it does not apply to a Bajaj RE.

Traffic enforces and the Bajaj RE

While it seems very rare for traffic enforces to stop a Bajaj RE for plying along national highways there have been a few cases. Many RE owners drive along national highways everyday with no problem at all, some of them even drive along EDSA daily. I have seen video of the MMDA and LTO waving BAJAJ RE’s on when they are having a huge clap down on illegal vehicles using EDSA.

So why has there been a few cases of traffic enforces ticketing Bajaj RE drivers? Firstly this will be because like many in the Philippines they think a tricycle is any vehicle with 3 wheels. Second is they do not understand what the word ply means, so many Filipinos seem to think the word ply simply means to travel.
The law states Tricycles are prohibited to ply along national highways. This does not stop them from travelling along national highways it stops them plying along national highways which is not the same thing.