Environmental education does not promote a certain opinion or course of action [4]. Environmental education, on the other hand, educates people how to analyze several sides of an issue through critical thinking and improves their dilemma and decision-making capabilities.

Legal adoption is more likely to be effective when environmental law matches moral goals for betterment, which typically occurs in well-developed regions. Environmental legislation differs greatly from moral norms in less-developed countries; hence adjustments in moral values are required for successful legal application [5].

Majority of elderly tricycle drivers and those with more experience have a better understanding of environmental regulations and local legislation than younger tricycle drivers and those with less experience [6].

Gender, age, and educational achievement were not substantially connected to their degree of awareness and compliance with environmental regulations while unfavorable attitude of students, non-teaching workers, and faculty participating in law enforcement was considered as a problem to comply on environmental laws [7].

Awareness of environmental issues is fundamental to the movement’s success. By fostering in our friends and family the importance of the physical environment, we can begin to address the issues that threaten it [8].

Motorists were aware of traffic laws and regulations, although they are not always cooperative [9].

Tricycle Regulation Units are the most efficient in terms of franchise license issuing, database maintenance, and complaint and grievance resolution. However, because the TRU office is very understaffed, the staff’s urgency in completing all of their jobs causes them to be less compassionately delicate in dealing with violators [10].

Actual roadside and onboard surveys were done on passengers and drivers traveling from the designated terminal to their destination. There are also a number of risks associated with the existing motorized tricycle that must be addressed for the safety of the passengers and drivers. It was proposed that an electric tricycle be used as an alternate means of public transportation in the city, as a highly sustainable choice that allows the local population to improve their quality of life through mobility and economic activity [11].

Riding a tricycle is far more practical than driving a vehicle because it is a hassle-free way to get to your desired location, the charge is low-cost, and what you save on parking could be spent on “gas money” or coffee, it really doesn’t affect you mostly during rush hours, and yet it isn’t glam, and everybody will admire you [12].

Among every barangay in the Philippines, tricycles are the primary means of transportation, not jeepneys. Tricycles are the Filipinos’ true “final mile” transport beast of burden―cheap, efficient, and essential. It is the go-to vehicle during any occasion. Filipinos utilize it to get to work, the market, school, and even for weddings and funerals in the barangays [13].

It particularly intended to consider the following:

1) How may the profile of the respondents be described in terms of:

a) Age;

b) Gender;

c) Marital status; and

d) Number of years in the job?

2) How many the respondents can be assessed with regard of environmental regulations:

a) Environmental laws; and

b) City environmental ordinance?

3) What are the problems met by the TODA’s in Cabanatuan City amidst the pandemic?

4) Is there a significant relationship between the profile and problems encountered by tricycle driver in the midst of pandemic?

The study utilized a mix method upon which researchers used frequencies, percentages, weighted mean, or other statistical tools to estimate its effect, as well as content analysis through personal interviews while doing some recordings for the specific node that researchers wanted to obtain.

Mixed methods studies are difficult to do since they need more labor and financial resources, as well as more time. The time required to implement the quantitative and qualitative components of the study results in increased time demands. Furthermore, mixed methods research necessitates the development of a larger set of abilities that span both quantitative and qualitative domains [14].

Content analysis is used to examine recorded information in the form of texts, media, or even direct observation. When to employ this strategy is determined by the study questions. Content analysis is commonly used to examine interviewee replies [15].

This study was conducted in the City of Cabanatuan, Province of Nueva Ecija. The respondents are from the different barangays of Cabanatuan city where the tricycle drivers live.

Random sampling was utilized in this research, which is one of the most prevalent probability sampling approaches. A random sample of individuals is chosen to deduce conclusions and assumptions about a whole group. It enables unbiased data collecting, allowing studies to reach unbiased findings [16].

The entire sample size of the study’s respondents is 374 out of a total population of 13,966. In this study, the Raosoft tool is used to compute sample size with a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error.

The results of this research were obtained via a limited face to face survey, interview and other online flat forms like messenger, which used a database to gather and store data, as well as statistical tools to analyse the results. The most important resource for all quantitative outcome research methods and studies is survey research.

Survey questionnaires are a series of questions designed to achieve the study’s objectives. The survey questionnaires were made up of three parts:

Part I includes the profile of the Tricycle driver. The researchers have created this checklist form of the questionnaire.

Part II a series of questions that assess the TODA’s operation in terms of Environmental Regulations. It consists of two parts: first is Environmental Laws, formulated in the modified 4-point Likert-scale: 4) Always; 3) Sometimes; 2) Often; 1) Never and the Second part is City Environmental Ordinance with the same 4-point Likert-scale: 4) Always; 3) Sometimes; 2) Often; 1) Never. Participants were asked to evaluate the claims and respond to the questions. Everything was entirely based and adapted from the questionnaire of CRM Uriarte et al. (2021) entitled “Environmental Regulation Awareness among Tricycle Drivers in Digos City Philippines”.

Part III composed of open-ended question regarding to problems being encountered and possible solutions that the respondents can recommend based on the mentioned problems. The respondents were asked to state their honest opinions regarding the questions being asked.

The research instrument was validated; corrections and suggestions were incorporated in the final draft; interviews were done with the other consumers to check the reliability and validity of the instrument.

To establish the authenticity of the study topic, “Effects of Environmental Regulations among Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association in Cabanatuan City: Its Implication to the New Normal”, the researchers gather different important data and material from the Internet. The questionnaire was created in response to relevant research and is being verified by qualified experts. The researchers do a dry run to test the questionnaire’s reliability to 20 participants and 5 experts to check the validity. To guarantee internal consistency, the instrument’s reliability coefficient was assessed and quantified. The instrument’s reliability coefficient was examined and measured with a score of 0.853, indicating that the instrument has high internal consistency. The validity of the research instrument was established by submitting it for expert judgments, who gave it a weighted mean of 4.27 and a verbal interpretation of “very excellent”.

All data collected from the area was encoded, tabulated, and evaluated. The quantitative data was analyzed using statistical techniques such as percentage, frequency distribution, weighted mean, and Pearson-r, while the qualitative data was reviewed using content analysis.

Based on the findings, the increase in oil price was ranked 1 as a concern experienced by TODA’s members, with a percentage of 72% (Table 7). It implies that if the market price of oil “gasoline” rises, it will have a substantial impact on the income production of tricycle drivers, which affects the cost of various commodities like their basic necessities, wherein it intends to increase also the fare ranges based on passengers’ destination.

Oil price shocks have an impact on the economy via the supply side (increased production costs, resource reallocation), the demand side (income impacts, uncertainty), and the terms of trade. Nevertheless, it appears that rising oil prices are playing a significant influence. A price increase that happens after a protracted period of oil price stability has a greater impact than a price increase that occurs promptly after prior price reduction [27].

Moreover, small number of passengers, as well the increased number of personal/private vehicles was also considered as difficulties and issue to consider in the case of tricycle drivers. This shows that the reason behind in small number of passengers is due to health and safety restrictions amidst the pandemic and also high fare, while an increase in the number of private cars is intended to alleviate traffic congestions caused by increased demand in the transportation industry during the lockdown period.

Social distancing and public transportation are two notions that, very simply, are just not the same. Cities throughout the world to impose strict physical distancing measures, numerous of them have been required to preserve public transportation services for important personnel [28].

Using publicly accessible transport data from multiple Southeast Asian transit applications (including Waze Connected Citizens Program, Google, and Apple), ridership decreased by more than 90% in March compared to pre-pandemic norms in January. Governments have enforced varying degrees of lockdown and social distancing measures, including limitations on public transportation [29].

Table 8 reveals that the number of years in the job is the only one with a verbal interpretation of very high positive correlation towards the problems being encountered, with a calculated r-value of (0.9456) and a p-value of (0.0543), which is equal to the critical value of 0.05, so there is a significant relationship between the number of years as a tricycle driver and the difficulties they encounter. Although the respondents’ age, which has a p-value of (0.0853), which is larger than the requisite critical value of 0.05.

The study found that the longer someone drives a tricycle, therefore the probability they will meet the aforementioned challenges. According to the responses, they have gotten more familiar with how they would manage with the various difficulties of being a tricycle driver while adhering to environmental regulations and local ordinances over the course of more than a decade. On the contrary, age has little bearing on a driver’s ability to deal with situations. It is up to them to control the situation as long as they understand what is causing the uncertainties.

Riding a motorcycle is a crazy ride by anyone’s standards. It makes little difference where you bike in terms of geography. As we ride our tricycles for a long period, the climates, road conditions, and traffic density may change, but there are certain constants. It’s filthy and hazardous, and you share the roads, byways,

*Critical value/significance level: (α = 0.05).

and thoroughfares with a variety of harmful items, both moving and immovable [30].

Consequently, both gender and marital status of respondents have a low positive link with issues faced, indicating that it does not matter what gender or status we have when it comes to working with the difficulties of being a tricycle driver.

Women tricycle drivers committed their lives to supporting a family meal, co-equal with their husbands. Living a poor life, “starving like a rat”, in order to make ends meet [31].