Velotaxi
A velotaxi, also known as a pedicab, cycle rickshaw or trishaw (from tricycle rickshaw), is a human-powered vehicle for hire, usually with one or two seats for carrying passengers in addition to the driver.
The vehicle is powered by the driver pedalling as he would a bicycle, though some configurations also have an electric motor assisting the driver. The vehicle is usually a tricycle, though some quadricycles exist, and some bicycles with trailers are configured as velotaxis. The driver typically pedals in front of the passenger(s); some vehicles have the driver in the rear.
Velotaxis are widely used all over Asia, where they have largely replaced rickshaws mainly due to the advance in technology giving the 'driver' the advantage to use less energy whilst still maintaining that traditional art of Velotaxi driving. Velotaxis are known as a cyclo (pronounced see-clo) in Cambodia and Vietnam, a cycle rickshaw in India, a trishaw in Singapore and a becak in Indonesia. They have been banned in Pakistan since the 50s/60s. Velotaxis are also used in some European and North American cities, mainly to provide rides for tourists.
In August 2003 at the Big Green Gathering festival in England, the iTrike was launched: a cycle rickshaw providing wireless internet connectivity using solar power. It is based on the cycle rickshaws produced in the United Kingdom by Cycles Maximus, who promote them as alternative transport for over-crowded inner-cities.
Film
The 1995 movie Cyclo, by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung center around a velotaxi driver.
See also
External links
- Yahoo Group Pedicab (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pedicab/messages)
- http://www.pedicab.com
- http://www.workbike.org/research/pedalline.html
- Rickshaw! A blog collecting the inscriptions on the back of rickshaws (cycle ricksaws, jinrickshaws, and autorickshaws) (http://rickshaw.blogspot.com)
- iTrike Web site (http://psand.net/itrike/)
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