Auto rickshaws seem new and interesting for tourist who travel to India, and we here at the Rickshaw Challenge are well aware of this. Over the years, we figured out just how to turn your visit to India into the ultimate rickshaw experience and while we prepare for our next adventure, we realized there are just so many reasons to love these little odd vehicles!
Rickshaws combine fun and efficiency in a way you’ve never seen before and you have to admit – they’re adorable! But just in case you’re not fully convinced, here are seven facts that will make you fall in love with it instantly:
This game
Created by JSplash Apps, the Auto Rickshaw Rash mobile game is both quirky and fun. Get behind the wheel and join this crazy race, but be careful as there are no rules here. In fact, this is the one place where bad driving is rewarded! Take the lead, hit, grind and smash your opponents – you’ll get coins every time you do this. Coins can be used to upgrade your auto rickshaw and you can unlock awesome achievements as you progress.
The race is set in an imaginary location in Bangalore, India, and drivers speak in Kannada during the race. A newer version will take players to famous cities like Chennai and Mumbai.
This Indian Mickey Mouse cartoon
Watch Mickey speeding through the Mumbai traffic in an auto rickshaw, to get an elephant up a mountain. Unless you speak the language, you won’t understand much of it, but truth to be told you don’t even need to; this cartoon is universally funny.
The mind-blowing TUK600
The what? The Far Cry 4 Tuk Tuk replica created by Colin Furze, of course! The DYI mad man took a normal auto rickshaw and turned it into a crazy machine by putting a Honda engine on it and rigging airsoft guns on it.
The Rickshaw Challenge
Looking for a crazy adventure in India? The Rickshaw Challenge is exactly what you need! Since 2006, the rally team has been offering tourists the chance to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where partying and sightseeing combine in a unique way.
All you have to do is gather your friends or family to create a team, pack your bags and we’ll take care of everything else, so you can fully enjoy the ride! Whether you choose the Classic Run, the Malabar Rampage, Deccan Odyssey, Mumbai Xpress or Tamilnadu Run, you’re guaranteed to have the most adventure-filled vacation in India.
These badass pimped rickshaws
Driving an auto rickshaw is certainly an interesting experience, but if you’re looking for something that will grab everyone’s attention, check out these crazy pimped out auto rickshaws. Giant horns, toy guns, colorful lights, weird paint jobs – your imagination is the only limit to what your customized auto rickshaw will look like.
If you want to ride in style, you can make your rickshaw look like a limousine on the inside. If you want everyone to notice you when you pass by, why not disguise your vehicle as a giant furry rabbit, or paint flames on its sides to make it look badass? Anything is possible!
Mellowcab
Although only recently introduced, this product is already touted as the electric rickshaw of the future. Mellowcab is a service that manufactures and operated electric auto rickshaws, which have been transformed to mini-cabs to be used as public transportation in crowded cities. In addition to carrying passengers, the service also makes money from selling advertising space on vehicles.
The electric mini-cabs were created by a South African entrepreneur, who thought the on-demand taxi service would serve as a green, cheap, safe and fast alternative for regular cars.
The three-wheeler designed by Neil du Preez weighs 230 kg. It is powered by pedals and an electric-assist motor and runs on rechargeable lead-crystal batteries which allow it to run for about 110 km at a top speed of 112 km/h. Mellowcab will work through a smartphone app.
This social initiative
And last, but not least, auto rickshaws deserve all your love and admiration because they are also used in social causes. The Rickshaw Challenge supports various charities and encourages participants to donate.
The Rickshaw Project is another notable social initiative. The organization offers jobs for people with disabilities, employing them as drivers for specially-designed, hand-controlled, retrofitted rickshaws. Through this initiative, TRP is trying to fight against prejudices and campaign for the rights of people with disabilities.
We hope this article helped you discover just how awesome these tiny vehicles are. But if you still have doubts, you should join us on our next rally and we guarantee you’ll fall hopelessly in love with auto rickshaws.
