Tuk-tuk
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- Further information: Auto rickshaw
The tuk-tuk (Thai: ตุ๊กตุ๊ก or ตุ๊กๆ, IPA: /ˈðʊkˈðʊk/) is the Southeast Asian version of a vehicle known elsewhere as an auto rickshaw or cabin cycle. It 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.
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[edit] Construction and use
The tuk-tuk may have a sheet metal body (painted mild steel) or open frame with canvas roof and drop-down sides. Some have ornate tin ornamental hammerings or carvings for decoration. The roof may be either mild steel or a water-proofed canvas, riveted to round tubing. Water-proof removable sides can be added in the rainy season. Resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), there is a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for three in relative comfort in the rear. They are very maneuverable and can turn around in one lane of traffic with room to spare.[citation needed]
Tuk-tuks are generally fitted with a water-cooled two-stroke engine. They have handlebar controls instead of a steering wheel, making them a tricycle. The tuk-tuk is named after the sound its two-stroke engine makes when it is idling (see Onomatopoeia). It may have been derived from a similar Japanese automobile Daihatsu Midget in the 1950s (later Bajaj of Indonesia), although tuk-tuks of the type used in Brighton, England evolved from the Vespa scooter (later Bajaj of India), using old Piaggio Vespa pattern tooling and a Piaggio-derived 175cc engine. These were the front half of a Vespa, with an axle created for the rear, badged (in Vespa-style) as the Ape. These were used with truck bodies, pick-up bodies and eventually taxi bodies. Later the legshields were extended all the way up and over to create a roof. They generally are low geared, to allow the small engine to move comparatively large loads. Given the low gearing, Tuk-tuks have a high torque-to-weight ratio and can accelerate quite quickly making them nimble, especially in heavy traffic. The lack of high speed capability is irrelevant in heavy urban traffic.
Tuk-tuk drivers may have migrated from the provinces and have a reputation for not knowing the city in which they work very well, therefore getting people lost. Tuk-tuks do not have meters and users generally bargain with the driver for a price to take them to a specified destination. In Bangkok, there is now a maximum fee which drivers may not exceed. This has tended to become the default fee for foreigners. As with all unmetered transport, not agreeing to a fee before departure can risk unethical practice by the driver.
Drivers also earn money by having advertising posters and placards on their tuk-tuks. In early 2005 many of them were covered in advertising for the 6 February election. Tuk-tuk drivers can earn fuel vouchers or other commissions by diverting passengers to certain businesses that cater to tourists, possibly against the passenger's expressed wishes. Most drivers also decorate their tuk-tuks with religious charms and small Buddha images.
[edit] Thailand Tuk-tuks
In Thailand, particularly in Bangkok, the tuk-tuks are of the three-wheeled variety, as described above.
However, in Phuket, the tuk-tuks are typically 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.
They are generally well maintained by their owners, and very clean, with most having a large and noisy exhaust.
Red is the most common colour in Phuket, with yellow also becoming more common, while green and blue are less common. Many of the tuk-tuks are riced up, with mags, under-body neons, body kits, amplifiers and big speakers.
[edit] Cambodian Tuk-tuks
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.
[edit] Lao Tuk-tuks
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.
[edit] Vietnamese Tuk-tuks
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.
[edit] Sri Lankan Tuk-tuks
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.
[edit] English Tuk-tuks
From 10 July 2006 until 22 January 2008, there were twelve tuk-tuks (spelt tuctuc) in service in Brighton running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). These ran a fixed route between Brighton Marina in the east of the city, and Hove in the west, along the seafront via Brighton station. They were used by both tourists and locals. The operators decided to give up their licence, due to legislation preventing them from operating with the flexibility of taxis[1]. They came in a variety of colours (including a controversial "chavrolet" Burberry design), and for a period of time, someone who collected tickets from riding on a tuctuc of each design could claim a tuctuc brand T-shirt. They were Bajaj Retros, a design of the auto rickshaw Piaggio Ape style.
The UK's most prolific importer of tuk tuks is a Southampton based company called the Tukshop. They have quietly gone about putting over 60 tuk tuks on UK roads since 2003, no mean feat given the high standards of government testing & legislation. The London paper 'Metro' gave their Bajaj 'Retro' model a rave review in 2004 stating that the cute little 3 wheeler was one of the most memorable vehicles they have ever tested. Tukshop featured on the BBC London news in 2005 with a campaign to get tuk tuks licensed as taxis however the application was refused. A number of Tukshop customers have however since been inspired to set up public transport services in a number of towns including Plymouth, Blackpool, Brighton and Oxford.
The first Tuk Tuk in England to have a private hire licence was in Bath. It was granted a licence by the city council in 2002 to run tours of the city. Tuk Tuk Tours successfully operated in Bath for two years.
[edit] Tuk-tuks in The Netherlands
Since 2007, tuk-tuks have been active in The Netherlands, starting with Amsterdam. They now operate in Amsterdam, The Hague, Zandvoort,Bergen op zoom,Renesse a popular beach resort 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.
[edit] Tuk-tuks in Guatemala
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).
[edit] Tuk-tuks in Kenya
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.
[edit] New trends
Tuk-tuks have the potential to become a hype in western countries. This is not only because this form of transport has a lot of advantages (mobility) in crowded cities, but also because it is a sustainable alternative for taxis. The growing focus on sustainability in cities in the western world (helped by programs such as the Clinton Climate Initiative) stimulates technical innovations on tuk-tuks. In the Netherlands, technical universities battle to organise the first hybrid tuk-tuks. Hybrid tuk-tuks just might become a hype in western cities to battle both transport and environmental problems.
[edit] References
- ^ "Britain's first tuk-tuk fleet hits the skids", Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-01-20.
[edit] External links
- The UKs leading Tuktuk company
- Tukshop - The UK's Tuk Tuk pioneers
- Specifications of Thailand-made tuk-tuk at Soni - Thailand's largest auto exporter
- MMW Tuk-Tuks - Europe's first Tuk-tuk importers, not to be confused with those who supplied the Brighton tuk-tuks
- TucTuc - Europe's first Tuk-tuk service in Brighton, England
- TukTuk-Tour - with a three-wheeler travelling overlands from India to Europe
- Tracing Tea - An overland expedition driving tuk-tuks from London to Calcutta
- The eTUKTUK - A mobile radio station and telecentre in Sri Lanka
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