[sustran] Re: Meanwhile: The rickshaw's last stand

[Jay Corrales]

Hi Carlos,
 
We have cycle taxis/rickshaws here in San Diego, California, USA in our
downtown area.  They work out okay, but I think the main complaint is that
they are extremely expensive so it makes them an undesireable form of
transit.  I am not quite sure what the issues are that cause them to be much
more expensive than Auto Taxis, but I think it may have to do with lower
demand for cycle rickshaws and high licensing taxes for the owners (as well
as a reinforcing demand feedback loop when word gets around about them being
too expensive).
 
I wonder if there could be any public policy mandate that would improve
their service.  If anyone has any feedback, it would be much appreciated.
 
Jay Corrales
Board of Directors - Move San Diego
San Diego, CA

 
  _____  

From: sustran-discuss-bounces+jay.corrales=gmail.com at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+jay.corrales=gmail.com at list.jca.apc.org] On
Behalf Of Carlos F. Pardo SUTP
Sent: Friday, August 11, 2006 6:16 AM
To: 'Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport'
Subject: [sustran] Re: Meanwhile: The rickshaw's last stand



I think that is the basic difference between cycle rickshaws in developing
and developed countries: in the former, they are used for trips which are
much longer than in places like Europe or some cities in the US. I guess the
best way to use rickshaws is as a short-distance mode and as an integration
mode for mass transit. If the Colombian Ministry of Transport understood
this, biketaxis (or cyclerickshaws) would be permitted on the roads,
increasing the catchment area of TransMilenio up to 2 km or more! I usually
ride a(n illegal) biketaxi from a TransMilenio station ( Estación Prado) to
my house. It’s sometimes too long to walk that far, and I will never take a
taxi for such a short ride (also, bicycle parking has only been built in
terminal stations, so there is no way to leave the bicycle).

 

I’m attaching two pictures of the informal biketaxis in Bogotá. I hope they
come through.

 

Best regards, 

 

Carlos F. Pardo 
Coordinador de Proyecto 
GTZ - Proyecto de Transporte Sostenible (SUTP, SUTP-LAC) 
Cl 125bis # 41-28 of 404
Bogotá D.C., Colombia
Tel:  +57 (1) 215 7812

Fax: +57 (1) 236 2309  
Mobile: +57 (3) 15 296 0662
e-mail:  <mailto:carlos.pardo at sutp.org> carlos.pardo at sutp.org 
Página:  <http://www.sutp.org/> www.sutp.org

 

  _____  

De: sustran-discuss-bounces+carlos.pardo=sutp.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+carlos.pardo=sutp.org at list.jca.apc.org] En
nombre de Sarath Guttikunda
Enviado el: Viernes, 11 de Agosto de 2006 08:02 a.m.
Para: Asia and the Pacific sustainable transport
Asunto: [sustran] Re: Meanwhile: The rickshaw's last stand

 

Even in Wahsington DC downtown (Chinatown), now there are couple of Cycle
Rickshaws that go around. I don't think these are meant for long distances
as rickshaws average in Dhaka or Calcutta, but they seem to doing a fair
amount of business with the tourists. 

 

Sarath

 

On 8/10/06, Robert Bartlett <roadnotes at freenet.de> wrote: 

I suspect rickshaws are anything but 'on the way out'. For example they
are in increasing use in Europe and - in Europe and elsewhere - are put 
to a much greater range of uses than you might think. See the document
"rickshaws in Dhaka" at

http://www.schorrell-analysis.de/Publications/Publications_List/Book_6/book_
6.html
<http://www.schorrell-analysis.de/Publications/Publications_List/Book_6/book
_6.html> 

I'm also involved in 2 other related documents (rickshaws in Europe and
rickshaws in India/the Ecotrike) which should be ready for publishing in
early September.

Robert Bartlett


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SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred,
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