April 22, 2008
Toronto's Getting A Free Ride
Sort of just in time for the now-averted TTC strike, Torontonians will finally have the opportunity to further indulge in a mode of transporation that was once reserved almost exclusively for camera-laden tourists and decadent—or at least, unhurried—commuters in pretty much every major city in the world. The incentive this time, however, is that it's free.
Starting May 1, sore-legged saunterers will be able to hail a pedi-cab (also acceptable are "pedal-cab," "bugbug," or "trishaw") throughout the downtown core. EcoCabs will be providing the free service to Torontonians and tourists alike, with funding being provided by what will surely be subdued and unobtrusive advertising on the vehicle itself. The Star reports that the cabs will be able to accommodate two or three passengers and will be equipped with a rechargeable electric battery for those long uphill grinds, or perhaps for just when the driver just feels like doggin' it.
The Star also pointed out that the free service likely won't go over well with the notoriously cutthroat (not really) cadre of local rickshaw drivers (most of whom are merely in it for the money and—let's face it—glamour). It can't hurt, however, to have a new resource available for those environmentally conscious travellers who are willing to put up with a bit of B.O. so the earth doesn't have to deal the extra CO2.
Photo of a pedi-cab in Denmark (Toronto's will be similar) by Marc Lostracco.
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I'd still feel safer on my bike than riding in this piece of crap. Thirteen thousand dollars EACH? For a rolling ad made of flimsy plastic that can only go a whopping 12 clicks an hour? Bleh!
You can get a good road bike for $1,300. Why not just buy a bunch of those and start a city bike sharing program? Bonus: no ads.
Bit of trivia: the bicycle is the only vehicle that can carry 10 times its own weight on average.
Boo-YAH! Bicycles rule! One of the best inventions of all time.
Clearly the person who has a bike with them and is dressed for biking is not the target market here. Da-yum this site's commenters can be negative sometimes.
I thought they looked kinda cool.. Speaking as someone who is currently sadly not able to ride his bike (or walk particularly far), I'd be really happy to trade in a cab ride for a free trip in a non-polluting vehicle like this. Bonus points for it being free.
You don't have to dress like you're riding the Tour de France to ride a bike. I've seen plenty of people riding in suits. If you have a decent road bike (one tenth the cost of one of these guys) getting up to a good speed isn't all that hard at all.
What is your point?
I'm sorry, I've been a cycling advocate for as long as I can remember (and despite currently being unable to I commute exclusively by bike when I can).. but to criticize a company which is giving out free, pedal powered, non polluting rides on the basis that they should have spent their money on setting up a bikeshare program instead is beyond absurd.
Absolutely biking is awesome and you don't need to dress up for it.. But it's not for everyone, all of the time.
It's not the principle I'm objecting to. It's the price tag. It just seems like an excessive amount of money, and the city doesn't have a good bikeshare program. (I can't recall if Toronto's is still running or ran out of funding.) Split $13,000 up four ways and you can get four really, really good bikes. I wonder if these contraptions couldn't be made at a lower cost (I know, taxpayers aren't paying for it, but it's still a ton of money).
We have these Velo-taxis in Tokyo, especially around the Roppongi Hills business district. I have always wanted to take one, but they are always engaged, and these are paying passengers. My office is near there.
Remember that you need a mix of transport options, and these are not carriage rides in Central Park. These are real transportation, and 12 km per hour is double to triple a walking speed.
When you just need a boost 4 or 5 blocks, this is an excellent option.
Cheers,
Tuds
PS I also commute part way to work on my bicycle wearing a suit as well. You'd be hard pressed to find a single adult in Japan who has not done so. (And yes, all men's and women's bikes have a "girl's" crossbar.)
http://bikehugger.com/2007/07/the_bigger_the_basket.htm
http://thecitybicycle.blogspot.com/2006/02/mamacharimomochari.html
I don't understand where the $13,000 goes into these things. They sell cars that cost less, and they have far more parts and take a lot more time and skill to assemble. Are the plastic shells some extreme eco corn plastic that required a million dollar casting?
Do they make these in amphibious? That would be cool.
I don't know why people keep obsessing about the price tag (here and on that "other" local blog). As far as I know, it's private money, not the city's money. Certainly it would be nice if the city would kick $13K towards a bikeshare program. They still should. I say if EcoCab wants to spend obscene amounts of money on rolling ads that serve a useful purpose and have zero emissions (as opposed to, say, stupid vikings in the back of a cube van), more power to 'em.
Loozrboy: I guess I sort of had a knee jerk reaction to the cost, knowing that good bikes cost far less and lamenting the lack of a good bikeshare program. I know I'm in no place to dictate how a private enterprise spends its money. Free sustainable transportation is a pretty damn good thing.
On the other hand, I'd love to see a bunch of stupid vikings in the back of a cube van. That'd be one hell of a party and we all know that STUPID vikings need the most help.
I have a feeling that there won't be enough of these to meet the demand of people wanting free rides.
How far will they go? Is there a "free delivery" map?
I'm 'obsessed' about the price for the reason I stated above, and no other.