Taxi Driver Online

Taxis fight back as tuk-tuks aim for UK

Hsiao-Hung Pai
Tuesday August 23, 2005
The Guardian


Anyone who has been to Delhi, Mumbai or Bangkok would recognise them, from their spluttering sound as much as their resemblance to a glorified lawnmower. The tuk-tuk, or auto rickshaw as they are known in India, have long been an integral part of the urban scenery of the east.
Now tuk-tuks are on their way to Britain. A fleet of the south-east Asian motorised rickshaws, named after the sound of their stuttering engines, is destined for London to service the capital's theatregoers and revellers. But not without a fight.

The plan has prompted the opposition of black-cab drivers who think this form of "third world" transport is unsuited to the capital.
Tuk-tuks combine the controls of a moped with car-like pedals and the chassis of a rickshaw.

In Laos and India they can accommodate up to six people, but the ones earmarked for the UK, should Transport for London award a minicab licence to their importer, carry just three passengers and reach a top speed of 40mph.

But London's cab drivers anxiously claim that the vehicles are potential death traps. Bob Oddy, general secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association with 7,000 members, said: "Tuk-tuks tip over easily and are definitely dangerous. Safety is a top issue and we will be going back 100 years if they are allowed on the road, for private or public use."

"In south-east Asia ... they were used by poor people trying to scratch a living. This doesn't apply in London. There's no such demand here. This is just profit-making and putting people's lives at risk."

Tuk-tuks have been brought into Britain since 2002 and sold for private use since 2003. "Tuk-tuks have met all the legal requirement for safety," said Steve Webb, the manager of Tukshop and importer of the vehicles. "They are as good as the cabbies. And they will give the capital more culture and personality, and that will help tourism immensely."

Tuk-tuk supporters also claim that the vehicles are environmentally friendly, with low emissions, and cause less congestion than cars.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story ... 71,00.html

They even do stretch tuk tuks

http://www.tuk-tuk.co.uk/uploads/imagebank/51image.jpg


I see someone got a Hackney License for these things.

http://www.tuk-tuk.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30

With a top speed of 40 MPH and a seating capacity of only three I just wonder how viable these vehicles will be?

Regards

JD

turning circle should be fine though

Funny that it doesn't say where

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Western super mare, bristol city council?

Weston Super Mare - 5/6/2005

An MMW Tuk Tuk has been delivered to Ray and Nicky in Weston Super Mare this month. Their application is currently being considered for a Hackney Carriage License. We wish them every success with this and their future business.


http://www.tuk-tuk.co.uk/index.php?arti ... l&recno=36

I knew it was there somewhere.

Tuk-Tuk Gets Hackney License - 26/7/2005

We are now proud to announce that the first ever Hackney License has been issued in the UK for a Tuk-Tuk to be used as a Taxi. We are the only company in the world to have successfully built Tuk-Tuks suitable for licensing as a Taxi. We believe this is an acknowlegement that we are the world's leading manufacturer's of Tuk-Tuks


http://www.tuk-tuk.co.uk/index.php?arti ... l&recno=37

A tuk-tuk was supplied to Churchill Hotel, Ambleside and is to be used as a Private Hire vehicle following a successful meeting with the Licensing Committee at Kendal District Council.

http://www.tuk-tuk.co.uk/index.php?arti ... l&recno=14

I could just about see them getting a PH license, but Hackney?

Of course, the it's the importer's website, so we should perhaps expect a bit of spin.

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Taxi Driver Online
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So we don't know exactly where this Hack license was issued?

The Weston story says it was being considered, but if I presented a bicylce for licensing, I'm sure they'd 'consider' it, but doubt if they would license it.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Are you saying the importers are perhaps being disingenuous with the article.

'Anxiously claim'

No they ARE death traps.

No protection, no seatbelts, no EU standards that Taxi's or Minicab vehicles are built to.

They will add to the culture of london, claims the t*** who wants to import them.

In what way? to further liken London to Lagos?

Given that TFL have already told him they don't license any PH unless it is a standard 4 wheeled vehicle, I don't quite know what he is hoping for?

I have just spoken to North Somerset council who license vehicles for Weston Super Mare and they informed me that the vehicle has indeed been licensed to carry four people.

It should be noted that North Somerset is not restricted and they do not have a mandatory policy of wheelchair accessible vehicles. The authority has no vehicle type license restrictions.

Regards

JD

The Tuk-Tuk chat forum?

That must be tantalising stuff?

It's strange they quote a top speed of 40mph, because the story from the welsh paper quotes 80mph

Now call me old fashioned but I like a tyre on every corner

Maybe since I have witnessed two reliants flipping over, and a reliant in a collision with a hearse (complete with coffin ) I have no faith in three wheels.

Nor fibreglass