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BusinessWorld: Multicab dubbed ‘poor man’s taxi’ launched


TACLOBAN CITY — After pioneering the assembly of tricycles and multicabs in the country, the Norkis Group has come up with the "poor man’s taxi." The vehicle, called Spider, was described as a "multi-transport hybrid" of the multicab. It can seat eight and is powered by a 660cc Daihatsu engine. For only P10 and an additional P5 for every kilometer after five kilometers, a passenger can enjoy the services of a taxi through the Spider. "It’s a poor man’s taxi. At a rate of P10, one will enjoy the privilege of door-to-door service," said Benjamin Pesons, Norkis area sales manager for Eastern Visayas. Norkis has tied up with JEGA Corp., which has applied before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for a franchise to operate 20 Spider taxis in Tacloban. Mr. Pesons said the company will offer the vehicle to other operators as well. The main mode of transportation in Tacloban City is still the tricycle, a motorcycle with a side car made by Norkis. Outside the city’s business district, the main mode of transport is the multicab, a small passenger jeepney assembled by Norkis from used engines and components from Japan. "We started in Tacloban because we’ve seen the demand for public transportation. This is in support to the thrust of the government to develop the tourism industry particularly in rural areas," Mr. Pesons said in a press conference. After Tacloban, the poor man’s taxi will also be introduced in key cities and provinces through Norkis’ retail network of 200 branches and service centers, 200 satellite branches, and 600 dealers. The introduction of the poor man’s taxi has drawn objections from multicab and tricycle operators and drivers. They have told the LTFRB that granting a franchise to JEGA for the Spider units will "substantially prejudice the incumbent operators and would [further congest the already congested] routes within the city." Ronel Ticoy, legal counsel of JEGA, responded: "I don’t see any reason for the transport group to oppose because we have a different route and type of service." Norkis officials said the Spider is spacious, comfortable, safe and fuel-efficient. It is sold for P188,000 for automatic transmission and P198,000 for manual transmission with a six-month warranty and guaranteed lifetime spare parts availability. The car weighs 735 kilograms. — Sarwell Q. Meniano, BusinessWorld

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