Rickshaws pick up speed in Europe’s top cities

Whether futuristic fiber-glass pods or wooden carriages, rickshaws are a good way to experience a city and help cut down on congestion, as more and more European cities seek to promote environment-friendly forms of transport.

In Berlin, one of the first European cities to adopt rickshaws, more than 200 bicycle taxis whiz at up to 15 km an hour through leafy Tiergarten park, past tourist attractions and through town squares.

“It is completely environment-friendly. We have new models with engines to help the drivers up hills but they use 100 per cent renewable energy,” said a spokeswoman for Velotaxi, Berlin’s biggest rickshaw company.

While the city is still home to around 7,000 car taxis, rickshaw companies say that their speed and green credentials mean their vehicles are more than just tourist transport.

“This is something out of the ordinary —you would think you would get this on a holiday in Asia, not in Berlin - but you can.” In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said many of his customers liked to be whisked away in his yellow rickshaw and compared the experience to Queen Beatrix’s, who travels in a golden carriage on occasions. “I like to make my passengers feel like the Queen,” he said.

Visitors Juri Ondracek and Ria de Rooij were keen to try out a rickshaw for the first time and noticed the cost savings for trips.“Taxis are more expensive, and this is something different,” Ondracek said.

A quirk in licensing rules lets rickshaws freely ply their trade in London. Unlike Berlin there are no specific regulations for the industry.

About 500 rickshaws pedal through London and politicians are in no rush to embrace more.