Tourist-friendly pedicabs in Intramuros
The Intramuros Administration (IA) rolled out another batch of redesigned pedicabs that offer tours of the walled city.
“We are rolling out the additional 40 units and we met with the pedicab drivers to agree on the fixed tariffs to avoid overcharging,” IA Administrator Guiller Asido told The STAR.
Last October, the IA presented the first batch of redesigned pedicabs.
The project was part of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Design Center of the Philippines Design Week initiative.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier said it has provided training for the drivers on tour guiding, courtesy, road safety and how to attend to the needs of the public.
Pedicab tours have been serving as an alternative to walking tours for visitors to Intramuros.
Asido said the new pedicabs have gained positive reception from tourists since its roll out last month.
The new pedicabs feature designs inspired by Intramuros’ seven gates. The IA earlier said it targets to hit a number of 50 pedicabs from the walled city’s five barangays.
The IA is expecting its visitor count to exceed its 954,000 visitors target for this year. “We expect to hit a million [visitors] by end of 2017,” Asido said.
As of the first half of 2017, Intramuros welcomed 770,016 visitors for its ticked attractions alone.
Last year, Intramuros registered a total of 535,911 visitors for its three main attractions, namely Fort Santiago, Casa Manila and Baluarte San Diego.