The Rickshaws For India Program

Rickshaws – A Major Method Of Transportation

The Rickshaw is the world’s oldest form of wheeled transportation and in India today Rickshaws are still a major method of taxi style transportation for people taking short journeys. Multitudes ride them to and from work. Business people going to appointments use them. Women travel on them for shopping and children going to and from school ride on Rickshaws.

They are also used for moving goods and courier jobs. The government promotes their use as they are non-polluting. According to official records over 7 million Rickshaws are in use in India today.


Enabling The Poor

PeopleAid’s - Rickshaws For India program promotes self-sufficiency by enabling poor people to own their own Rickshaw businesses. We provide existing Rickshaw drivers and also unemployed people with a high quality Rickshaw as well as training, maintenance help and free insurance.




Harsh Rickshaw Landlords

Despite their hard work, India’s existing Rickshaw drivers cannot break free from the cycle of poverty which themselves and their families are trapped in. They are too poor to own their own Rickshaw, so they are forced to rent their Rickshaws from Rickshaw landlords. The rent they must pay is around 50% of their daily income. In essence, they work as slave labor for the Rickshaw landlords. Many drivers have no choice but to rent trash heaps with wobbly wheels, broken seats, loose frames, etc.

Because the rental fee cuts the driver’s income almost in half, he has no possibility of saving any money to purchase his own Rickshaw. In fact, it is desperately difficult to live on the remaining income. He and his family live from day to day, struggling to feed themselves with the money that is left after paying the daily Rickshaw rental.

Our Rickshaw Manufacturing Plants produce a revolutionary and superior new model Rickshaw, which is both stronger and lighter than traditional Indian models. It is a dual purpose Rickshaw that is designed for carrying both passengers and courier type freight. This enables the recipients to earn extra returns. The seat is wide and very comfortable to sit on. It has a good storage capacity under the seat and a low flat floor pan. It is very easy for elderly people and young children to get on and off.




Yes I/we want to set Indian families free from the bondage of poverty.