Indian Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project

Contact: G Shyam
Design consultant to the India Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project

The Indian Cycle Rickshaw Improvement Project grew out of a concern that the Taj Mahal was being permanently damaged by air pollution, much of it from motor vehicles. The project focused on modernizing the Indian cycle rickshaw to improve its image, performance, comfort and safety. It was undertaken by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) in association with various Indian organizations. Funding from US AID facilitated the design of modern cycle rickshaws that:

• weigh over 30% less than the old ones (55 kg versus 80 kg)
• have a multi gear system specifically designed for rickshaws
• have design features including a very comfortable passenger seat that gives a bump-free ride; a low step-in height, space for luggage, and a permanent top which provides year-round protection from sun and rain
• sell for 4,200 Indian rupees, barely more than the traditional rickshaw
• have a much longer life expectancy and low maintenance and repair costs

Independent surveys have shown that drivers can ply the new rickshaws for a third longer, and average earnings have gone up by close to 50%. Although many cycle rickshaw operators are aware that their profession is of low social status, the new vehicles have restored a sense of pride to the non-motorized operator profession.

The rickshaws were designed to be incorporated with ease into the existing rickshaw industry and are assembled locally using components from the old rickshaws, which are recycled rather than discarded. Assemblers also act as retailers and financiers who provide various loan schemes.

The introduction of the new cycle rickshaws has helped to build political resolve to tighten restrictions on motorized traffic near the Taj Mahal. The modernization of cycle rickshaw technology in India has already proven to be a more cost effective way of reducing emissions than projects promoting alternative fuel vehicles. The beneficiaries of these projects are also among the lowest income populations in the world.

In less than two years since their commercial introduction, there are now more than 8,000 of these modern vehicles on the road in more than 10 cities and towns and the numbers are growing every day. A similar modernization project being designed in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, is based on the knowledge gained from this successful project.