Auto rickshaw

An Auto rickshaw or tuk tuk (auto or rickshaw in popular parlance) is a vehicle for hire that is one of the chief modes of transport across many parts of South and East Asia. It is a motorized version of the traditional rickshaw or velotaxi, a small three-wheeled cart driven by a person, and is related to the cabin cycle.

Auto rickshaws are particularly popular where traffic congestion is a major problem, such as in Bangkok, and a small number of auto rickshaws can be seen on the streets of China Town in London, although they are used mainly by tourists and not by the local populace.

Design

An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a sheet metal body (painted mild steel/tin/iron) or open frame with canvas roof and drop-down sides, resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver (called an auto-wallah in some areas) in the front and seating for three in the rear. They are generally fitted with a water-cooled scooter version of a two-stroke engine with handlebar controls instead of a steering wheel (again like scooters), effectively making them a three-wheeler scooter carrying passengers on the rear seat. However, the former version has still not become extinct. In North India, there is a variation, powered by a Royal Enfield engine, called the phat-phati because of the sound it makes. However this is almost extinct because of the amount of pollution it causes.

Auto rickshaws are extremely light vehicles considering their capacity. When they break down, only two or three drivers are required to fully lift them off the ground and they can be easily pushed by one driver.

However, the construction and characteristics of auto rickshaws make auto rickshaws an extremely unsafe class of vehicle. Accidents can result in serious chassis damage, and can easily be fatal to the commuters. Also since the auto rickshaw incorporates a handlebar for control, this gives an extremely small turning radius to the auto rickshaw, which is reflected on Indian roads through auto rickshaws weaving in and out through the traffic and flouting lane discipline.

Hiring

Autos have to install a taximeter according to laws in various parts of India. Many do not have one, however, and even among those that do, some drivers refuse to turn them on. And if indeed its a place where they turn it on, more often than not, the meter will be a tampered one that show more distance than what's actually travelled. Hiring an auto often involves bargaining with the driver. But auto rickshaw drivers across India are often accused of fleecing money by installing faulty meters, taking a longer route to the destination and demanding multiple times the fare early in the morning or late at night, or at times when other means of transport are not available. Fares can also double if the destination is an isolated place (charge for returning empty). Auto rickshaw drivers generally defend themselves against such accusations by blaming the government for its negligence of market realities while fixing the distance-based fares. Passengers unfamiliar with the local language are considered particularly vulnerable to overcharging. Many Cities like Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Delhi have made strict regulations to install fare-meters in auto rickshaws. Every new auto entering their streets is required by law to install a digital fare meter to avoid the kind of manipulation with the older mechanical fare-meters.

In cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore, traffic-regulating authorities have tried to implement pre-paid schemes where the passengers pay pre-determined auto-fares (depending on the destination) to some central authority and board the autos. In Chennai in 2006, the pre-determined fare was in the range of 50 Rupees for many destinations within the central part of the city. However, it is still far more common for a prospective passenger to simply flag down a rickshaw and negotiate a price without an intermediary official (for reasons like non-availability of prepaid autos at all locations and not wanting to queue up for a long time at the counter.) Drivers often speak only the local language, so knowing some of the local geography as well as having the destination address written in the local language is advantageous.

Share autos

Auto rickshaws have been modified in India to carry more passengers and are called share autos. Office commuters find this version more economical since the fare is shared by more people. Competition among 'share' auto-wallahs has led to the virtual standardization of fare per passenger based on their destination. Shared autos vary in both name and size from place to place. They are called "Phat-a-phats" in Delhi (which are actually variants of what were once horse-driven vehicles), "Shuttle rickshaws" in Ahmedabad, "Seven (7)-seater autos" in Hyderabad, "Tum-tums" in Pune and "Share autos" in Chennai. These large share autos shuttle over a distance of 10 to 15 km to gather a substantial number of commuters. Shared autos play an important role in transporting urban India, where state-organized public transport, while not quite crippled, is congested to a point of extreme unreliability, especially during peak hours. Or connecting the sub-urban areas where state owned transport facilities are very few and unfrequent.

Regional variations

South Asia

A majority of Indian auto rickshaws have no doors or seatbelts. Their design varies considerably from place to place. In some locations, they have an extra plank on the seat to accommodate a fourth passenger. In reality it is not uncommon to see 6-8 passengers in an auto rickshaw with such an ad hoc setup, although, in theory, autos risk fines for carrying more than three passengers in many places. Auto rickshaws that are used for driving children to school have two extra seats/planks like narrow ledges, one facing the main seating space and one to the side. Such auto rickshaws may jam-pack up to 20 children to school.

As a mode of transport, the auto rickshaw is turning out to be a major employer in India. All major nationalized banks of India offer loans to buy one under self-employment schemes. Major auto rickshaw manufacturers in India include Bajaj Auto and Force Motors (previously Bajaj Tempo). A two-wheeler major, TVS Motors, has announced it will enter the auto rickshaw market with a technologically updated and a less polluting vehicle, in early 2006. Not restricted to cities, auto rickshaws are also prevalent in large numbers in Indian villages and in the countryside.

There is an initial charge at the beginning of a ride then the price normally increases in proportion to the distance . It is mandatory that the initial charge be set at a value given by the government.

Known locally as Rickshah, and used mainly by the lower-middle-class, auto rickshaws are a popular mode of transport for short routes within cities in Pakistan. One of the major brands of auto rickshaws is Vespa (an Italian Company). The problem of environmental pollution caused by auto rickshaws in major Pakistani cities is a growing menace. Environment Canada is implementing pilot projects in Lahore, Karachi and Quetta with engine technology developed in Mississauga that uses CNG instead of leaded petrol in the two-stroke engines.

An important aspect of auto-rickshaws in Pakistan is that they are home to popular 'mobile graffiti' Rickshaw owners and drivers often use the rear side of the rickshaw to write witty, funny and even philosophical tag-lines that others on the road read and enjoy.

In addition to ferrying people around, an innovative use of auto rickshaws in public life was the demonstration in Peshawar in 2001 against the American invasion of Afghanistan.

In many cities in Pakistan, there are also motor cycle rickshaws, usually called chand gari(moon car) or qingqi after the Chinese company who first introduced this rickshaw to the market.

Auto rickshaws commonly known as 'three-wheelers' can be found on all roads in Sri Lanka from the curvy roads through the hill country to the congested roads of Colombo transporting locals, foreigners, or freight about. Sri Lankan tuk-tuks are of the style of the light Phnom Penh type. See the etuktuk project website for an innovative application that is bringing the benefits of computers and internet access to the rural community of Kothmale. Most tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka are a slightly modified Indian Bajaj model. Though there are some manufactured locally and increasingly imports from other countries in the region.

Southeast Asia

Referred to as bajaj in Indonesia, are common throughout the country's capital Jakarta. Bajaj is India's main Auto-Rikshaws manufacturer.

The auto rickshaw, called tuk-tuk in Thailand, is a widely used form of urban transport in Bangkok and other Thai cities, as well as other major Southeast Asian and South Asian cities. It is particularly popular where traffic congestion is a major problem, such as in Bangkok.

In Phuket, the term "tuk-tuk" is also used for vehicles based on small Daihatsu Hijet 4-wheeled trucks, with a metal canopy over the seats in the rear. The sides of the canopy are typically canvas or plastic, to provide some protection from the tropical rains.

In Cambodia, the term tuk-tuk is used to refer to a motorcycle with a cabin attached to the rear. Cambodian cities have a much lower volume of automobile traffic than Thai cities, and tuk-tuks are still the most common form of urban transport.

At the temple complex of Angkor, tuk-tuks provide a convenient form of transport around the complex for tourists. One can hire a tuk-tuk and driver by the day.

Siem Reap tuk-tuks are generally of the style of motorcycle and trailer. Phnom Penh tuk-tuks are by contrast one piece. They are the front end of a motorcycle comprising of steering, tank and engine/gearbox with a covered tray mounted at the back. The power is transferred by chain to an axle mounted to the modified rear fork which drives the two rear wheels. Suspended upon the rear fork is an open cabin with an in-line seat on each side. This arrangement can carry 6 people at ease, with their luggage in the leg space. It is not unusual to see these vehicles greatly overloaded, especially in outer suburbs and around markets.

Lao tuk-tuks are generally of the Phnom Penh style. They come as tuk-tuks or jumbo tuk-tuks. Jumbos have a larger 3 or 4 cylinder 4 stroke engine, many are powered by Daihatsu engines. While the smaller tuk-tuks carry similar loads to Cambodian tuk-tuks, and are geared similarly, jumbos' larger engine and cabin size allow for greater loads, up to 12 seated people at a squeeze, and higher top speeds. Jumbos are almost without exception only found in Vientiane. A few Thai tuk-tuks, which have fully enclosed cabins, have also made their way to Vientienne.

There are comparatively few Vietnamese tuk-tuks on the road. Most are in the two largest cities, Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi as well as a few in other major tourist centres. Ho Chi Minh tuk-tuks generally comprise the motorcycle and trailer style of Siem Reap while Hanoi and Hoi An tuk-tuks are of the style of the light Phnom Penh type.

Central and South America

The mototaxi or moto is the Central American and Peruvian incarnation of the auto rickshaw. These are most commonly made from the front end and engine of a motorcycle attached to a two-wheeled passenger area in back. Commercially produced models, such as the Indian Bajaj brand, are also employed. In Guatemala the commercial vehicles are referred to as tuk-tuks.

Tuk-tuks operate, both as taxis and private vehicles, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, around the island town of Flores, Peten, in the mountain city of Antigua Guatemala, and in many small towns in the mountains. In 2005 the tuk-tuks prevalent in the Lago de Atitlán towns of Panajachel and Santiago Atitlán all appeared to be from India (Bajaj Auto).

Africa

There are tuk-tuks in several Kenyan towns. Using them is somewhat cheaper than ordinary taxis. However, tuk-tuks cannot operate in mountainous towns, which are common in Kenya. Fierce competition with Boda-bodas (bicycle taxis) and Matatus (minibuses) hinders popularity of Tuk-tuks.

Europe

Auto rickshaws were introduced to the city of Brighton & Hove on 10 July 2006 by entrepreneur Dominic Ponniah's company Tuctuc Ltd., who had the idea after seeing the vehicles used successfully in the transport infrastructure of India and Sri Lanka. They were introduced as a cleaner and cooler form of private transport. They are CNG-powered, using a four-speed (plus reverse) 175 cc engine, so are considered more environmentally friendly than petrol powered vehicles.

Under the terms of their license, the tuctucs run on a fixed single route, and stop only at designated stops. They are of the same design as traditional auto rickshaws in other countries such as India, Pakistan and Thailand, being a design evolved since the late 1940s and early 1950s from the Piaggio Ape, which started life itself as a Vespa scooter.

An investigation was launched into Tuctuc Ltd's operation of the service after complaints that routes, stopping points and timetables were not being adhered to were raised, primarily by the city's taxi drivers. In November 2006, the company was fined £16,500 - the maximum penalty possible - by the South East Traffic Commissioner. After amendments were made to the timetable to reduce delays and improve reliability, the Commissioner allowed the company to keep its operating licence.

Since 2007, tuk-tuks have been active in The Netherlands, starting with Amsterdam. They now operate in Amsterdam, The Hague, Zandvoort, Bergen op Zoom, the popular beach resort Renesse and Rotterdam. The tuk-tuk's operate as regular taxi's, with the difference being that the rates are calculated according to the areas of departure and arrival; the cities that they're active in are divided in zones for this purpose.

Fuel efficiency and pollution

In July 1998, the Supreme Court of India ordered the Delhi government to implement CNG or LPG (Autogas) fuel for all autos and for the entire bus fleet in and around the city. Delhi observed a dramatic improvement in the quality of air with the switch to CNG, and this is important for a city where it is not uncommon to see pedestrians and drivers wearing nurse's masks for protection against the prevalent city smog. Initially, auto rickshaw drivers in Delhi had to wait in long queues to get their CNG cylinders re-filled, but the situation has improved drastically with the rise of filling stations that sell CNG. Certain other local governments are also pushing for four-stroke engines instead of the current two-stroke versions. Typical mileage for an Indian-made auto rickshaw is around 35 kilometres per litre of petrol (about 2.9 L per 100 km, or 82 miles per gallon).

Traffic issues

Auto rickshaws have a top-speed of around 50 km/h (about 31 mph) and a cruising speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph). Traffic authorities in big cities try to implement different mechanisms to circumvent the resulting traffic slow-down issues; however, none of these have really proven to work out.

The triangular form of the auto also makes maneuvering easy, with the front single wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space.

Racing

Auto rickshaws are able to reach an approximate speed of 50 km/h and so they have never lent themselves to conventional road or street racing. Their modest speed, simple construction and impressive fuel economy has however endeared them to the international amateur adventuring community, most notably with the Indian Autorickshaw Challenge . This parent organisation hosts and organises two different events - The IndianARC Classic and the Mumbai Express - both of which are the brainchild of amicable entrepreneur Aravind B. Kumar. The humble tuk-tuk in this circumstance not only carries hundreds of entrants thousands of miles across wild countryside in the spirit of adventure, but also delivers much needed humanitarian aid to the children of the areas as part of the Adopt-A-Village program organised by the IndianARC Group.

Portrayal in media

Auto rickshaws are often portrayed in Indian films (Basha, Aye Auto, Oram Po) as well as some Hollywood and foreign productions such as the James Bond film Octopussy. Auto rickshaws also are prominent in the fuel-poor London of 2027 A.D. depicted in Children of Men.

See also

• Three wheeler
• Tricycle

References

External links

• Article: Hybrid tuk-tuks are coming
• The India 1000 - an article in Wired Magazine about auto rickshaw racing

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Last updated on Saturday July 26, 2008 at 08:18:30 PDT (GMT -0700)
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