Not half as bad is potted in RTC batteries. As in: The RTC chip and battery are inside the same epoxy-filled package.
The bane of vintage SUN hardware (and some PC clone manufacturers in the 386-486 era) collectors.
Two words: future proofing. In many places, 2G and 3G networks are either turned off already, or will shutdown in a year or two. Especially with the dumb phone target audience, a phone that will become a brick in a couple of years, is most definitely not something they're looking for.
That advice wouldn't fly in my neck of woods, as no local would even think of using a taxi, unless they have exhausted any other option. Sorry, the driver is too busy scamming tourists, right now.
1976
Also my birth year.