Rickshaws might be almost retired, but their charm and style still attract fans. Once the most popular form of public transportation in major cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong, there are only a few places left where you can still ride a rickshaw. Here we tell you about their history, the role of rickshaw drivers, and where you can still take a ride.
What is a rickshaw?
The classic definition of what a rickshaw is is a cart that can accommodate one or two people propelled by a human racer, on the legs, modern bicycles and automatic rickshaws do not count. The cockpit is mounted on a pair of wheels and the racer carried two sticks used to fulcrum the rickshaw. While the poster book image of rickshaws often includes oriental ornaments in the design, the truth is that most were more functional contraptions.
Who invented the rickshaw is a hotly contested issue, with Japan, the UK and the US claiming ownership. What we do know is that rickshaws became popular in Japan during the 1870s and that the word rickshaw comes from the Japanese word jinrikisha, which means human-powered vehicle. It is said that it was invented in Japan by a European missionary to carry his invalid wife. At one time the country had 21,000 licensed rickshaw drivers.
By the turn of the century, the rickshaw had reached India and China, where it really took off. Thousands were produced and became the preferred form of transportation for the colonial elite, both to escape the sweltering heat and to show off their bank balance. It was in these countries that the image of a fat colonialist being swept away by a local endeavor became infamous.
Where can I find a rickshaw?
The rise of the bus and other forms of public transportation wiped out almost all rickshaw businesses at the end of World War II. Mao completely banned them from China as a symbol of working-class oppression in 1949, while India and most other Asian countries followed suit shortly after.
The only large-scale rickshaw operation still on the streets is in Calcutta. Here, the rickshaw broker unions have fiercely fought the bans and an estimated 20,000 cars still carry passengers around the city. In contrast, Hong Kong only has three rickshaws in operation, almost exclusively aimed at tourists.
Other cities where the rickshaw still circulates include London, Dublin, and Los Angeles, where they are used as tourist attractions in certain areas. Just don’t expect the bargain prices of the old days.
The life of the rckshaw driver
Part of the downfall of rickshaws was the conditions the drivers endured. Their role as ‘human horses’ was increasingly distancing themselves from modern values.
Rickshaw brokers generally worked long days for low wages and the rickshaw acted as their own mobile home, where they also slept. In Asia at the turn of the century, it was often the only job that immigrants from the country to the city could find and most lived in poverty. In Calcutta most still do.
Drivers transported around people, goods, and even policemen; up the mountains and through the monsoon rains. Many wealthier residents, such as those who lived on the Hong Kong Peak, used them as their regular form of transportation before trams or trains were introduced. When faced with a passenger of heavy weight drivers, you would ask another driver to give you a hand and charge you more, such as a Ryanair baggage fee.
The debate over rickshaw pullers in Kolkata continues with human rights groups claiming they are modern slaves, while many rickshaw pullers claim that a ban would lead to unemployment and hunger. Some people claim that most of its passengers are also low-class and that rickshaws are the only way to get around during knee-deep monsoon rains.
