2 minute read
Three-wheeling through history
from July 2023
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
By Ishan Singhal
Auto Rickshaws have been around for nearly 75 years now in India! Did you know that the mayor of Bengaluru, N Keshava, introduced India to autorickshaws in 1951 with a scooter fitted to a carriage. He himself rode passengers around to show off the possibility of the vehicle. N Keshava had to convince unions of horse carts and rickshaw pullers to see the potential of autos, and slowly then, Bengaluru and the rest of India accepted the auto rickshaws.
Lambrettas used to shine in the city traffic with glass windows, bright chrome paints, and fringes. A rare few vehicles that evoke memories of the past still ply, like this revived by an enthusiast in Kerala.
A hybrid of a rickshaw and a van was introduced in the 1960s in India by Force Motors under the model name Hanseat. In hilly regions of India, and many tier 2 and 3 towns in northern India, these can still be spotted.
