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Taxis fight back as tuk-tuks aim for UK
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.
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 Mr Webb. "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.
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