autorickshaw drivers – Rickshaw Challenge

Crazy Roads & Wild Parties – The Mumbai Xpress 2015 Takes Its Course

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:18:02 +0000

Two weeks of crazy adventures lie behind our 17 brave teams participating in this year’s Mumbai Xpress, a rickshaw adventure across India for the daring ones. We’ve already reported from the first days of the challenge, now you can find our teams made it till the finish line and what adventures they met on their way!

Day 5: Panchgani to Ratnagiri

Photo by Charlie Varley from team Naan of Your Business

After Panchagani, the teams left the Millennium Hotel and headed towards Ratnagiri. The day went smoothly and all of them arrived in the hotel before the stipulated time.Team 5, Snap Crackle and Popadum, went on various detours and they were happy to explore India on a totally different route. All enjoyed the beauty of the Western Ghats of India, which was a trip that definitely changed everybody’s perception of India.

Day 6: Rathnagiri to Panaji

Photo by John Mcgivern from team The Indians.

After arriving in Panaji, the city worked its relaxing charm on the participants. Most of them went to the Casino on the river, to see if they were lucky – and indeed, Fortuna was smiling upon them, since nobody lost all the amount of money they had spent on chips.

Day 7: Panaji

Photo by Min Chai from team N2 Extreme Tuk Tuk.

A well deserved day of rest in Panaji gave all teams the possibility to relax and to recover their strength for the second half of their crazy rickshaw adventure. Sadly we had to say goodbye to Team 16, which left the rally from Panaji.

Day 8: Panaji to Murudeshwara

Photo by Liane Wicks from Ice Ice Bhaji.

The next day saw the teams racing from Panaji to Murudeshwara, but not before they had visited a school, where they enjoyed distributing gifts and frolicked with the kids. Another day of easy drive and all the teams had reached the hotel before 6.30 pm. The first team to enter the hotel had clocked in already at 3.30 pm. And even though the teams visited some unknown beaches and experienced the local customs, they always made it in time and still had many stories to share. After a long day of driving, the teams met in the evening for a great night in the Naveen Hotel.

Day 9: Murudeshwara to Mangalore (Mangaluru)

Photo by John Mcgivern from team The Indians.

The lovely night in Murudeshwara’s and a warm morning had put all the teams in high spirit. Knowing that it was a short distance to Mangalore, some of the teams had a walk around the city in morning and Team 5, Snap Crackle Popadum, went for a swim at the beach. Surprisingly, they still arrived in Mangaluru in time with an average speed of 40 km per hour. In the evening, all the teams went out to enjouy the night in a bar, which they had discovered in the internet.

Day 10: Mangalore to Mysore

Photo by John Mcgivern from team The Indians.

After a short day of drive, the teams spared no effort to make sure, that everything was okay with their rickshaws. Strange noises from unidentified parts of the vehicles had made them become anticipative of a major breakdown. In morning, we had a great school visit and all of the 6 attending teams had an amazing time. By 2pm all the teams had passed Madikeri town. Then the Kushalnagar sign board challenge was posted before they could reach Mysore.
In the evening, many teams visited the market and the palace, which both made for a fun night. As the city was preparing for Dasara, the colours of Mysore were a great sight. Team 11, N2 Extreme Tuk Tuk, went off to hunt some incense and bought some sticks and sandalwood syrup.

Day 11: Mysore to Bangalore

Photo by Max Craven from team Tuk Buddies.

Based on their drive from Murudeshwara to Mangalore, many teams begann their day in Mysore with sight seeing. Six teams turned up for the school visit and enjoyed dancing and signing with the children. Even though today’s distance was a very simple drive of just 30 km to Bangalore, all the teams got stuck in the pitfalls of Bangalore’s traffic. Team 15, the Monsoon Riders, called for support at 1pm, when they had just 15 km left to the hotel in the suburbs at the silk board. The support team was alerted and they found them within an hour and did a great job. All the teams arrived at the hotel before 7 pm and the day ended – where else – at the Envy Bar in the La Classic Hotel.

Day 12: Bangalore to Vellore

Photo by Robert Ford from team Aba Daba Chaba.

Time for one last school visit! All 5 participating teams were warmly welcomed and quickly charmed by the children, like so many teams before. The day went smoothly and even the new hotel, which we had to test last minute, surprised with pleasantness and great cooperation.

The Final Day Bash: Vellore to Chennai

Photo by Ashleigh Grant from Team Smurf.

In Vellore, the teams were informed about the day’s program. The morning project visit went as planned and it was great to see 13 teams participating, even though we had a few little hiccups: Team 2 missed the regrouping spot and decided to go back to the hotel, while Team 3 was miserably directed and lost lots of time, but managed to sneak in in time for the presentation.
Chief guest of the meeting was Dhansika an upcoming star in Tamil film industry.

And The Winners Are…

Photo by John Mcgivern

And now finally the part we have all been waiting for! Who is the winner of the Mumbai Xpress 2015?
Team 14, The Indians, scrambled for the victory in our crazy rickshaw adventure! The Charity Award goes to Team 9, Temporarily Misplaced, and the Bonkers Award for “special achievements” goes to Team 4, a.k.a Team Smurf. We congratulate all of you and hope, that you will always remember your epic rickshaw journey with the Travel Scientists across India!!
The occasion was celebrated in a right and proper manner – with a truly epic party!

RTO inspection of autos to be intensified

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:29:54 +0000

The regional transport officer (west division) Siddappa Kaller has directed all autorickshaw owners/drivers in the city to carry the vehicle documents with them as the officials along with police would intensify inspection from Monday.
There have been complaints from passengers that auto drivers are collecting excessive fare and many autos do not have auto fare metres. This apart, several autos are running without proper permit and documents, the RTO stated in a release.
Full article here

Identity cards to help passengers complain against rowdy auto drivers

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:13:39 +0000

Come January, identifying rowdy auto drivers will be a cakewalk. The Ahmedabad Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association has started issuing them swanky identity cards replacing brass badges, which they seldom wear.
The trendy cards will bear the name, badge number, licence number and address of autorickshaw drivers. Besides, the phone number of the Autorickshaw Drivers’ Association office will be embossed on them to help passengers call its office-bearers in case of disputes.
Full article here

Autorickshaw drivers, owners stage protest

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:34:16 +0000

Members of the Shimoga Taluk Auto Drivers’ and Owners’ Welfare Association staged a protest here on Wednesday urging the district administration to fulfil their various demands.
The protesters said that the State Government had issued an order to provide Ashraya sites to autorickshaw drivers under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Scheme.
Full article here

Proposal for pre-paid fare for rickshaws at Pune station gathers dust with railway authorities

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:55:33 +0000

A proposal for starting pre-paid fare for autorickshaws and streamlining their movement at the Pune railway station has been stuck for nearly eight months now. The result passengers leaving the railway station continue to be fleeced as they are forced to pay lump-some charges demanded by the autorickshaw drivers.
Full article here

Autorickshaw drivers, owners in Cuddalore stage protest

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 10:28:31 +0000

Members of the Cuddalore Town Autorickshaw Drivers’ and Owners’ Federation observed a token strike from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, urging the civic body to improve basic amenities.
Led by federation president A. Krishnamurthy, they took out a rally from ‘uzhavar sandhai’ to the Collectorate. According to sources, they had initially planned to take their vehicles off the road for 24 hours from 6 a.m. on Friday. However, following the intervention of Cuddalore MLA G.Aiyappan and municipal chairman T. Thangarasu, they staged protest only for 12 hours.
Full article here

Uniforms: Auto drivers get 1 month more

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:05:28 +0000

The autorickshaw drivers in the city got another month’s time to get their uniforms ready, which were made mandatory by the traffic police and the regional transport authority (RTA). However, wearing of badges is compulsory for every auto driver from December 1.
This decision was announced by the traffic department of the city police on Saturday after a meeting with the officials of autorickshaw federations.
Full article here

Cops crack whip on illegal autos

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:32:18 +0000

17 offenders nabbed operating rickshaws without valid permits
The traffic department has finally started cracking the whip on erring auto rickshaws that overcharge and refuse fares across the city.
As part of the initial leg of the drive across the city, traffic cops have booked around 17 rickshaw drivers and owners operating without a valid permit. A case has been registered at the Bund Garden police station’s traffic division for forging symbols, registration numbers and running rickshaws without a valid permit.
Full article here

72-hr rickshaw strike from Nov 29

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:01:34 +0000

The Ahmedabad Autorickshaw Drivers’Association has decided to announce a strike from 12 pm on November 29.
The autorickshaw drivers are protesting against the increase in the price of CNG by Rs 2. The association had remained on a strike for 24 hours on November 16.
Full story here

Aravind + Innovation = Rickshaw Challenge

admin — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 11:46:28 +0000

With the Indian Autorickshaw Challenge, Aravind Bremanandam has built a brand around the humble tuk tuk.

Pitted roads. Desert sands. Hilly terrain. Hairpin bends. The Budapest to Bamako rally (also called ‘The Great African Run’) tests driving skills. For most participants, this annual trans-Saharan rally is an addiction. But no amount of e xperience seems to equip them for the chaotic traffic encountered in and around Morocco. Most of the drivers don’t leave this leg of the rally without their cars getting scratched or dented.

In the 2006 edition, an Indian stood out for the ease with which he handled the traffic. Humungous vehicles had packed the road and the rally cars could move only by the inch. Unfazed, Aravind Bremanandam (in a 1974 Soviet Lada) wove through the traffic, taking advantage of every small opening.

In the evening, Aravind was the subject of great curiosity. Into a software business that required him to alternate between Budapest and Chennai, Aravind sang the praises of our autorickshaw drivers. “This traffic is nothing compared to what you find in Chennai,” he boasted to the group that hung on to his words.
He promised to give them a feel of driving autorickshaws through the Indian countryside. He kept his word. Later in the year, the “Indian Autorickshaw Challenge”, a Chennai to Kanyakumari rally, was organised.
With painted designs and accessories, the autorickshaws were given a dash of flamboyance (Now, the teams can smarten up their autos by shopping at www.pimpmyshaw.com). The participants themselves went through makeovers. Dressed like dukes, princesses, wizards and what not, they played many roles. The rally lived up to its tagline — “An amazing race for the clinically insane.”
Full article here