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.

Eco-friendly vehicles crushed under motor wheels

India has missed a golden opportunity to promote human powered vehicles which would keep the cities clean and give gainful employment to millions.

Sudhirendar Sharma, the Ecological Foundation

India has missed a golden opportunity to promote human powered vehicles which would keep the cities clean and give gainful employment to millions.

Without doubt, there is space and scope for integrating the cycle rickshaw into the urban transport plan. Banning rickshaws on the pretext of congestion on city streets is unreasonable; cars and auto rickshaws owe much more to it.

Cycle rickshaws hold distinct advantage over motorised transport: these are non-polluting and non-violent form of public transport. They neither emit fumes nor ignite road rage! Unless public policy allows cycle rickshaws to negotiate their position, an opportunity to impact change in the city environment in light of ensuing climate change will be missed.

When improved cycle rickshaws, with speed gears and ergonomic design, were launched in Agra in 1997, the future of the poor man’s public transport had started looking up. Ten years later, the status of rickshaw is that of abject ridicule as many cities have banned the movement of this environment-friendly pedal-powered convenience from municipal limits.

While the historic Chandi Chowk in Delhi had banned the ubiquitous rickshaw following the High Court order five years ago (a petition challenging the order is at the Supreme Court), the adjoining satellite township of Noida has recently curtailed its movement from busy sections of this fast developing city.

By contrast, rickshaws are seen as symbols of the future in developed nations – an environment friendly means of transport. On New York’s fifth avenue people could be seen looking around for cycle rickshaws in the evenings. Elsewhere in North America and Europe, cycle rickshaws are finding favour with commuters.

The India Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project, undertaken by the New York-based Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP), was born out of the realisation that improving the design efficiency of human-powered public transport could be a win-win situation. From improving city environment to providing gainful employment, rickshaws could be a cheaper mode of public transport.

The ITDP designers had deployed a tubular body to reduce the rickshaw’s weight by 30 per cent; designed multi-gear system for easy pulling; and had created low height passenger friendly seating features.

All this, within the cost price of a traditional rickshaw – an estimated Rs 6,000.

Though several rickshaws plying across cities do resemble the improved version, the clones do not carry the essential elements of the design. Says designer Shreya Gadepalli, who had worked on the project, “… as the principal designer it does pain me to see that not all vehicles are as light, safe or comfortable as they could have been; features like multiple gears, which were seen as an extra cost, were done away with.”

With support from USAID, the India Project had contributed to improving rickshaws in many cities. However, the spread of the revolutionary design has ceased since the project came to a close in 2003.

Thanks to an indifferent policy environment and an irresolute rickshaw industry, the innovation aimed at benefiting as many as 4-5 million cycle rickshaws in India has literally been squandered. Against the powerful automobile industry, the unorganised human powered vehicle industry stands little chance to impact change. It is however another matter that the annual turnover by cycle rickshaws is worth Rs 1500 crore.

The modernization of cycle rickshaw in India has already proven to be a more cost effective way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions alongside securing better livelihoods for millions, at no extra burden to the state.
The launch of improved rickshaw in Agra was aimed at reducing harmful emissions from polluting auto rickshaws and cars from the periphery of the one of world’s seven wonders.

However, in the absence of political patronage the inherent potential of cycle rickshaws in generating elusive carbon credits for resource-crunched municipalities is being missed.

Earning carbon credits may not be far-fetched but the fact that rickshaws generate gainful employment for millions should be reason enough for developing countries to be empathetic towards it. The results of the revolutionary design changes had led to an appreciable increase in income for traditional rickshaw, from a low of Rs 75-80 to Rs 110-120 per day.

After deducting the rental costs, the previous earnings were only marginal higher. Interestingly, the new design gave the poor rickshaw drivers a chance to earn more by spending less energy. However, for manufacturers and contractors the enhanced income to poor rickshaw drivers has been of little consequence.

Dhaka's Rickshaws Under Threat

In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, most journeys are made on foot, and bicycle rickshaws are the main form of vehicular transport. Rickshaws are an efficient, non-polluting way to move around, and for many people without job skills, pulling a rickshaw is the only option other than begging or crime.

Under pressure from the World Bank, Dhaka City Corporation announced that from December 17 it plans to ban rickshaws and non-motorised transport from an important road in Dhaka - Mirpur Road from Russell Square to Azimpur. But this is only the test case in a much larger World Bank plan that would eliminate rickshaws from eight major roads (120 km) in this city of ten million people. Pushing rickshaws off the main roads would allow motor vehicles to become the dominant mode of vehicular transport in the city. At the same time, the World Bank is pressuring the Bangladeshi government to pass a law freeing the bank of legal liability for any harm that results from its policies.

Increasing limitations on rickshaws in Dhaka are causing untold hardship to the poorest and most vulnerable segments of society, reducing the mobility of the middle class (particularly women, children, and the elderly), and contributing to air pollution and motorisation. Meanwhile, roads that have completely banned non-motorised transport are still some of the worst affected by traffic jams.

World Carfree Network, concerned organisations in Bangladesh and around the world, and Dhaka's many rickshaw unions are all prepared for action to save the rickshaws. If the most vulnerable members of the population are to go hungry, it will not happen without a fight. Banning rickshaws and building highways while people face starvation is nothing short of a war on the poor.

Why Rickshaws should not be wiped out:

Rickshaws are in many ways the ideal form of transport: they provide door-to-door transport at all hours and in all weather, emit no fumes, create no noise pollution, use no fossil fuels, and employ large numbers of the poorest people.

It is not the rickshaws that are clogging the streets; it's the cars. In 1998, the less than 9% of vehicular transport by car required over 34% of road space, while the 54% travelling by rickshaw took up only 38% of road space. The solution is not to reduce rickshaw transport, but to prevent the growth of car use, by minimising the road space and parking space allocated to cars.

In addition, there are many simple solutions that could benefit both the rickshaw-riding majority and the car-owning minority. Instead of banning rickshaws, the World Bank and local authorities could be (a.) providing dedicated lanes and cycle rickshaw stations that would prevent conflicts between modes, (b.) implementing a programme to help improve the quality of the rickshaws, (c.) supporting cycle rickshaw drivers with training, uniforms, tariff standardisation, etc., (d.) creating cycle lanes throughout the city, and (e.) supporting public transit through bus-only lanes, bus-only turns, etc.

Many rickshaw pullers fled from starvation in the villages. With exceptionally bad floods this year, many villages lack sufficient food and seeds. Cutting back on rickshaw income means directly attacking the ability of the poorest and most vulnerable to survive - not just the rickshaw pullers themselves, but the families and entire villages that they support.

The Mirpur Road is a disastrous choice for a rickshaw ban, as there are no alternate roads for rickshaws, and it is extremely difficult to walk on this road because of the prevalence of street vendors.

Accommodating the automobile over other modes is undemocratic, supporting a wealthy elite while the majority suffers. In the long run, even the rich will not benefit from rickshaw bans, as current policies will lead to more traffic jams, dirtier air and increased noise pollution.

World Bank policy in Dhaka is inconsistent with the spirit of the World Bank's urban transport strategy, Cities on the Move (2001), which is highly progressive and supportive of non-motorised transport.

Rickshaws are the main source of vehicular transport for the middle class. Since there are often not alternatives within their means, a rickshaw ban is a restriction of their freedom of movement, and therefore a violation of Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (People Action Alert and World Carfree NetworK, The Bangladesh Observer, December 20, 2004)

India Rickshaw Modernization

Unlike many transport initiatives that aim only at improving the environment, ITDP's Indian Cycle Rickshaw Modernization project also cleaned the air and increased employment and income among the poor.

In collaboration with local experts, ITDP developed a series of design innovations that made India’s traditional cycle rickshaw lighter, more comfortable, and easier to handle. ITDP’s modern rickshaw design reduced the weight of the vehicles by more than 30% and a multi-gear system made pedaling much easier.

Surveys among rickshaw operators showed that incomes increased by 20% to 50% because operators were able to work longer, attract new passengers, and because customer satisfaction rose in response to the improved comfort and safety. The project also demonstrated that the modernized cycle rickshaw could attract 19% of its riders from highly polluting, motorized rickshaws, making its impact on greenhouse gas emission reductions quantifiable.

Today, over 300,000 modernized cycle rickshaws are operating in nine of India’s major cities, including Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur, Brindavan, Mathura, Jaipur and Chandigarh. Watch the short video below highlighting the project’s impact:

Based on ITDP’s success in India, we’ve also worked with our partners in Yogyakarta to similarly revitalize the becak as a mode of transportation through improvements to its weight, maneuverability, and passenger and operator comfort. (The becak is a non-motorized, three-wheeled rickshaw, distinct from the Indian rickshaw because passengers sit in front of the driver.) The Yogyakarta Tourism Department directly ordered 50 of the modernized becaks to serve as special tourist vehicles.

During 2005, the modernized becak model was further refined and updated to address the suggestions of the drivers and passengers who used the 2004 model, the Bisma. ITDP provided modernized becaks to transport participants at the Better Air Quality conference held by the Clean Air Initiative for Asia in Yogyakarta in December, 2006. Efforts are currently focused on marketing the current model to reach a wider audience.

Slick pedicab for the humble rickshaw

A slick, pedicab avatar for the humble rickshaw

Annu Anand

New Delhi, July 8, 2002

For 35-year-old Lalu Singh — a migrant from Bihar— pulling a cycle rickshaw these days is not a drudgery. On the other hand, he is very happy riding his rickshaw in the small lanes and residential colonies of East Delhi. The reason for this change is the new-style rickshaw that he has acquired. He feels it is very light compared to his old rickshaw and he does not have to apply much force to pull it. Passengers do not hesitate to sit in it because it always protects them from heat and rain, unlike the old-design rickshaw.

Lalu says the new rickshaw has changed his life. From somebody who used to hire a rickshaw daily, he has become the proud owner of a new rickshaw. He has recently bought it for Rs 4,000 and is paying the money in instalments. When the going is good he is able to earn as much as Rs 3,000.

Lalu is not alone in this silent change taking place in parts of Delhi and a few other Indian cities. The number of these new-age rickshaw pullers is increasing everyday as the technology of the new-design rickshaw is spreading fast.

Rupesh Kumar is another youngster pulling a rickshaw in the East Delhi residential area of Mayur Vihar. He has been driving this new mode of transportation for close to six months now. In fact, it is difficult to find an old-design rickshaw these days in this locality. Rupesh did not have money to buy a rickshaw so he takes one on hire everyday.

He has to pay Rs 25 to the owner of the rickshaw as hiring charges. He earns daily around Rs 100. The business has been brisk in the past few weeks, in view of the CNG crisis on Delhi roads.

While cycle rickshaws are not a novelty on Delhi roads, but what attracted people’s attention was this new-design cycle rickshaw – more comfortable and stylish. A number of these new rickshaws have been plying on the streets of Delhi for almost two years now. And their number is growing.

It is not just the new design. Almost, a silent revolution is taking place. For the ubiquitous rickshaw and the fate of the rickshaw puller has not changed in the past half a century. Now, thanks to a project conceived by the New York-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and the Asian Institute of Transport Development, the rickshaw has got a new lease of life. The project was initially funded by the US Agency for International Development. The implementation is being done by a Delhi-based NGO called Trichakra.

The traditional rickshaw is an inefficient piece of machinery. It puts a lot of stress on the rickshaw puller and saps away his energy in vain. The geometry of the structure is not suited to the Indian build. Keeping these shortcomings in mind, the design team led by Mr G. Shyam, an industrial designer at the Indian Institute of Technology,

New Delhi, made an attempt to improve the cycle rickshaw, with the objective to reduce the strain on the rickshaw puller through a multiple gearing system. The carriage has also been made lightweight.

But its light body is also posing problems for some rickshaw pullers. Moti Lal - a rickshaw puller in Patparganj - feels that the old rickshaw was better as it could carry more weight and odd-shaped objects. “Moreover, we cannot carry coolers, fridge or any other heavy things.

This design is comfortable only for passengers. Actually, we are in a loss”, he says.

With basic improvements in design, the project came up with several designs - Rani ki Palki, Udan Khatola, Raja ki Baggi, Vigyan ka Samadhan and 2001. Based on field experience and further research, two basic models have been commercialised - the Agra model and the Delhi model.

The former was first introduced in Agra where it has been a great success with tourists visiting the Taj Mahal. Today, about 800 of them are running in Agra, while another 400 are on the roads in the holy towns of Mathura and Vrindavan. Some 30 of the new rickshaws have been introduced in Bharatpur, where rickshaws are the only mode of transportation to take a tour of the famous bird sanctuary. In Delhi alone about 2,000 of these new rickshaws have been introduced. The process initially was slow because manufacturers have to be convinced first and then rickshaw pullers have to be educated. “Some of them did not want the gear system as they are not comfortable with it. So, we have supplied rickshaws without gears as well. We are also working with government agencies to help the rickshaw pullers to become owners of their vehicles”, says Mr Nalin Sinha, Project Manager of the cycle rickshaw project at Trichakra. The cost of the new rickshaw has come down to Rs 4,000, from the initial Rs 5,000. It will go down further as volumes pick up. Even at the present level,it compares well with the traditional rickshaw, which ranges between Rs 3,300 and Rs 3,800.

Mr Sinha says the new rickshaws are being introduced in Jaipur, Varanasi, Patna, Lucknow and Ranchi. More and more local manufacturers are showing interest. To avoid problems in transportation, a ready-to-assemble model is also being developed which can be easily transported. A school “bus” is also on the anvil. It will be capable of carrying at least 10 children comfortably.

The ITDP says the project has demonstrated that the superior vehicle could attract 19 per cent of its clients from highly polluting two-stroke engine vehicles.

Surveys with the new operators have demonstrated that the income of the cycle rickshaw pullers has increased by 20 per cent to 50 per cent because they are able to attract new passengers.

Unlike many transport sector interventions aimed only at improving the environment, this project did not pollute and also increased employment and income among the poor, while keeping the cost of the vehicle roughly constant. Close cooperation with the Indian bicycle industry, the tourism industry, and marketing and public relations experts were critical to the project’s success.

While the Indian project has now moved to commercialisation stage with the help of the private sector, designer G. Shyam is helping improve the rickshaw in Indonesia. The project at Jogjakarta, Indonesia, will try to replicate its success in partnership with Gadjah Mada University. The Indonesian designs, in order to respect cultural norms, will have to continue to seat passengers in the front. In many parts of Indonesia the cycle rickshaw, or becak, is tightly restricted by local government decrees and police harassment. In Jogjakarta the cultural traditions and tourism trade have led to a much more supportive environment for becak modernisation.

No cows or rickshaws; more autos in India

From India New England Online

India’s cities banning cows, rickshaws, but pushing autos

NEW HAVEN, Conn. 2/8/2008 — The streets of Delhi are becoming the stage for a battle over what a modern Indian city should look like.

It’s not an actual battle, of course — its weapons are court rulings, and its contestants are poor rickshaw-pulling city-dwellers and a growing middle class who drive private cars — but it is nonetheless changing the face of Delhi and other large cities across India, said professor Amita Baviskar in a talk she gave at Yale University on January 22.

Entitled “Cows, Cars and Cycle-rickshaws: Bourgeois Environmentalism and the Battle for Delhi’s Streets,” the talk focused on the rise of environmentalism among middle-class city dwellers and its consequences for urban life. It was co-sponsored by Yale’s Program in Agrarian Studies and South Asian Studies Council.

Baviskar, a professor of sociology who teaches at the Institute of Economic Growth at Delhi University, used controversy over three forms of street traffic — cattle, rickshaws and private cars — as a lens through which to analyze the political pull-and-tug surrounding the rise of city-dwellers’ environmental consciousness.

Roughly 40,000 cows roam the streets of Delhi, unhindered because of their status in Hinduism as sacred animals. However, the government of Delhi has tried recently to round up street cattle and relocate them to dairies outside of the city — though such attempts have proved mostly unsuccessful. The campaign stems from concerns that street cattle cause traffic congestion and are a threat to hygiene and personal safety.

Rickshaws, also a fixture of Delhi’s streets, have come under attack for similar reasons. Rickshaw-pulling is said to be a traffic hazard and is also seen by educated Delhi residents as inhumane, said Baviskar. For these reasons, Indian courts have taken steps to ban rickshaws unless licensed. Nonetheless, over 600,000 rickshaws still ply the streets, most of them illegally.

Baviskar sees the judicial orders against these forms of street traffic as the result of a burgeoning educated middle class and the new ideas about the environment that they bring with them. This new urban elite, consisting mainly of professionals, civil servants and academics, see street cattle and rickshaws as “an embarrassment to a world-class city in the making,” said the professor.

But campaigns against cows and rickshaws have wide-reaching consequences for those who rely on them for a living.

The street cows are the means of livelihood for small-time dairy-owners who operate roughly 3,500 informal dairies in the city, said Baviskar. Likewise, up to five million city residents rely on rickshaws for their trade. Rickshaw-pulling is particularly important as a ready form of employment for migrants from the countryside, she noted.

Thus, restrictions on street cattle and rickshaw-pulling “deprive a substantial portion of the working class of their means of livelihood,” said Baviskar. “Concerns about health and hazard, beauty and aesthetics, take precedence over concerns about life and livelihood [of the poor].”

At the same time, private cars, the symbol of modern city life, are becoming more popular. The number of private cars in Delhi nearly doubled between 1997 and 2005, jumping from 1.5 million to 2.7 million, Baviskar said.

Yet, despite their contribution to pollution and road hazards, the government has taken “no initiatives to keep cars off the roads,” she said, adding the cars are instead encouraged.

Baviskar predicts that if these trends continue, Delhi will become a city with greatly-increased spatial segregation. “Hawkers and vendors are being increasingly banished to the outskirts of the city,” and street-cattle owners and rickshaw pullers may soon follow.