Rickshaws In Oxford

Wouldn't it be more fun if you visit an industrialized county and find rickshaws being the vehicle of choice for commuters? And I don't mean those rickshaws which are powered by motorcycles. What I meant are those powered by bicycles as they are more eco-friendly and, well, more romantic in a way.

In Oxford, rickshaw operators are lobbying for the government to allow them to pick up passengers. Ted Maxwell, a history student, is leading the charge as he set up a rickshaw business in the city of England. He had five vehicles shipped to Oxford from the United States last September. These vehicles are now being employed across the city but there is a limitation to the whole rickshaw operation.

Since rickshaws are not normally found on city streets of large and industrialized countries like England, their operation requirements are not written down in the law. Today, rickshaws are permitted to operate on the city streets of Oxford provided that they only carry passengers who have already booked their trip. They are prohibited from picking up passengers who flag them down. For them to be able to do that, they should have a taxi license.

Maxwell said that they are in favor of regulating rickshaws but not like taxis. "We still want them to be licensed and regulated, but not as taxis, as they are now," said Maxwell who is the grandson of the late tycoon Robert Maxwell. "At the moment we're ticking over, but it's not going to be as successful or as useful to people in Oxford until we can be flagged down - that's all part of the fun."

While it may seem that he is in the business for fun, Maxwell is dead serious about expanding rickshaw operations in the city. He is the one who called for a voluntary code of conduct for rickshaw drivers. He started this so that even if there are no laws governing their operation, rickshaw drivers will be well organized. This will go a long way in convincing the government to permit them to pick up passengers.

Even Sid Phelps, a committee chairman for the city, said that they are in favor of using rickshaws on city streets. These vehicles which are designed to be as reliable as Honda exhaust parts are also more eco-friendly than other means of transportation. "Everybody wants rickshaws to operate safely in Oxford," said Phelps. "We're not against rickshaws - they're a great idea for tourism and sustainable transport," he added.