[vinmechanic]

This morning one of my friend uploaded a pic on fb of Autorikshaw which he spotted while going to work in Houston area,TX. After googling it, i found that it the guy to whom it belong is using that for two years. here's some pix and details.

One of his post says
"That’s my autorickshaw in the photo. I’ve been driving it to work for about 2 years. It has about 20,000 miles. It is a 4 stroke, and it gets around 90 mpg depending on road conditions and which way the wind is blowing. I don’t know how much a Prius gets, but I believe it is a lot less. You’d be amazed at the number of pretty women who ask for a ride. I believe the autorickshaw is pretty safe. I’ve never even had a close call. At the time of day I go to work, the autorickshaw is as fast as any thing else. I intend to buy another for my 78 year old mother soon."

Link to the post : Forget EVs – get an autorickshaw « is this houston?

Considering its fuel economy, can Autorikshaw be an alternative for cabs in cities in USA

Mods, please move thread to appropriate section if necessary.

[DicKy]

Can't believe an autorickshaw that too in Houston!!??
and that too no one has seen this for the past two years

[anilisanil]

But how did it get there? Never knew that they sell ARs in the US, do they?

And I see that it is a Bajaj RE! Nice find mate!

Edit: Checked that link it was posted in 2007, so no one reported about it for four years? I have a lot of friends in Houston, not a mention about it!!

[vb-saan]

Thats pretty cool! And noticed from the comments (in the website) that one guy expressed interest in renting the vehicle for a wedding

[BulZire]

There is a post in Team-Bhp itself about spotting a Auto rickshaw in Los Angeles.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...transport.html

[SSP]

A popular restaurant/bar/nightspot kept a Bajaj Autorickshaw as a delivery vehicle in Palm Beach, Florida. The manager would keep it right next to the Ferraris, Bentleys of the customers that frequented the bar!

[Captain Slow]

Autos arent a problem its the drivers that give autos a bad name.
Some of our famous Bangalore auto drivers should start driving around Houston. Then I want to see how many pretty women will ask for rides from Autorikshaws

[lloydofcochin]

Interesting news! Do the authorities allow them there? I mean will it meet the pollution norms there?

I had seen a lot of these Bajaj Autorickshaws in Cairo but never imagined that they would be running in Houston

[GTO]

I'm extremely surprised to see him using it on the public road, and as a private vehicle! Who's he kidding about the safety? The rickshaw is as safe as a tin can. Really curious to know under what class of vehicle he got the rick registered....there is no ways it will meet the regular American safety norms.

BTW, the only reason the Maini Reva was allowed on UK roads was it's registration as a quadricycle

[srishiva]

Could have been considered safe compared to a motor bike. Maybe its a three wheeled bike over there
90 mpg is surprising. Hope he is not driving it on freeways. No bucket seats?

[sanjaykk]

is that a Mahindra Scorpio in the third pic (look at the tail lamp at the extreme left).

[tsk1979]

Rush, three wheeled vehicles can be registered in some states under a different "Trike" category. You need to meet safety standards similar to that on a motorcycle or a two wheeler, which is pretty relaxed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-wheeled_car : Look at the section registration
Here is the relevant document
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/Cfc_t...hwaySafety.pdf

Look at page 59

(1) Motorcycle.--The term "motorcycle" means a motor vehicle which is designed to
travel on not more than 3 wheels in contact with the surface.

This means he has to drive with a helmet on!

[rajeev k]

Another major advantage with Aotorockshaws is that, they can be used in any country without changes in RHD/LHD configuration. A USP indeed.

[gtonsing]

I also saw Autorickshaws in Brighton, UK when I was there. There wasnt just one but many. From what my (ex) GF told me, they are direct imports from India and that they are giving the taxi operators a run for their money as the more hippie and tourist crowds love this form of transport. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of it though. I just googled and found this link on Wiki. Transport in Brighton and Hove - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[raghu230506]

Originally Posted by gtonsing

I also saw Autorickshaws in Brighton, UK when I was there. There wasnt just one but many. From what my (ex) GF told me, they are direct imports from India and that they are giving the taxi operators a run for their money as the more hippie and tourist crowds love this form of transport. Unfortunately, I did not take pictures of it though. I just googled and found this link on Wiki. Transport in Brighton and Hove - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is very much true, BBC once had a programme on this TucTuc (because of the sound it makes) couple of months ago.

But Iam surprised to read that they stopped the services of TucTuc as per the link.