Wednesday 18 May 2011
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Three girls from NIE get down to work and meet Uncle Boo.
On the 13th May 2011, Maisarah, Angelin and myself headed down to Bencoolen Street hoping to find a rickshaw driver who was kind enough to answer some of our questions.
The first thing we saw was a Trishaw Booth located right behind Bugis Village. There were many rickshaws parked along the road, in front of the booth.
We decided to go to the booth and enquire about the charges and timings of the rickshaw ride. But there was no one there. Just as we thought that we had made a wasted trip, we saw an old man sitting by his rickshaw.
His name was Uncle Boo and he was 65 years old. We asked him if he could take us on a ride and answer few of our questions. Initially, he was rather apprehensive but after much persuasion, he agreed.
He charged us $30 per person at first. However, because his rickshaw was self-owned, he decided to give us a $10 discount per person.
He brought us around to Little India and back to Bugis. Along the way, we interviewed him and found more about his job. It was very interesting to listen to the experiences that he has had and how operating rickshaws gives him job satisfaction.
It was definitely heart warming to see that these rickshaw drivers enjoy their job despite their old age.
By: Vicky
By: Vicky
Self-Owned Rickshaws VS. Commercial Rickshaws
In the past, rickshaws were mainly self-owned and the sole purpose of having a rickshaw was to earn a living by transporting commuters. Being the main mode of transportation at that time, rickshaws were highly popular and rickshaw drivers were able to bring home all their earnings for the day.
Running bare-footed under the scorching sun, Rickshaw drivers in the past suffered from blisters and aches as the rickshaws were carried over their shoulders.
Running bare-footed under the scorching sun, Rickshaw drivers in the past suffered from blisters and aches as the rickshaws were carried over their shoulders.
Nowadays, rickshaws are used for commercial purposes. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has decided to adopt rickshaws as one of its tourist attractions in Singapore. Instead of being self-owned, rickshaws now can only be hired through bookings and reservations.
We came across a company at Albert Mall called, “Trishaw Uncle”, specializes in promoting rickshaws as a tourist attraction around Bugis area, where they offer attractive packages to tourists and even locals. However, the rickshaws are all owned by the company and they have a list of drivers who will be assigned to a rickshaw to ride upon booking.
We came across a company at Albert Mall called, “Trishaw Uncle”, specializes in promoting rickshaws as a tourist attraction around Bugis area, where they offer attractive packages to tourists and even locals. However, the rickshaws are all owned by the company and they have a list of drivers who will be assigned to a rickshaw to ride upon booking.
The purpose of rickshaws has evolved over time. As the nation progresses into tertiary services, rickshaws have been commercialized and licensed into a tourist attraction. Will rickshaws cease to exist one day?
Sources: http://trishawuncle.com.sg/html/tours_experiences/tours_experiences_01.html
Monday 16 May 2011
About Rickshaws
The first rickshaw in Singapore was spotted in 1880. They were first invented by the Japanese and were brought into Singapore as a common mode of public transportation as well as a major source of income for the locals. Runner-pulled rickshaws were used in the past where a runner would be seen hand-pulling a two-wheeled cart with one or two seated passengers.
However, rickshaws are no longer a common sight on the roads in Singapore. Instead, they are now generally used as a tourist attraction to carry curious visitors around the city. Runner-pulled rickshaws haven been replaced by cycle rickshaws where the driver would cycle the passengers using a tricycle attached to the cart.
Rickshaws can only be found at certain places such as Queen Street, Geylang Road and Middle Road. Prices of rickshaw rides vary according to the distance travelled and the usual routes taken are to the nearby attractions such as Little India and Chinatown.
However, rickshaws are no longer a common sight on the roads in Singapore. Instead, they are now generally used as a tourist attraction to carry curious visitors around the city. Runner-pulled rickshaws haven been replaced by cycle rickshaws where the driver would cycle the passengers using a tricycle attached to the cart.
Rickshaws can only be found at certain places such as Queen Street, Geylang Road and Middle Road. Prices of rickshaw rides vary according to the distance travelled and the usual routes taken are to the nearby attractions such as Little India and Chinatown.
Come and join us as we embark on a journey of discovery to find out more about rickshaws and the untold story behind these amazing vehicles.
Sources: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_947_2005-01-25.html
Credits to http://scheong.wordpress.com
Sources: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_947_2005-01-25.html
By: Angelin
Rickshaws- "hand-drawn taxi-cabs of early Singapore"
Just how much do Singaporeans know about rickshaws?
Welcome to our blog!
We will now take you on a meaningful journey to unravel the uniqueness of rickshaws in Singapore.
Credits: Trishaw Uncle
Our roles in this project
We are a group of 3 girls from National Institute of Education (NIE) working collaboratively to develop a journalistic media and report on rickshaws in Singapore. Below are our assigned roles in this project.
Maisarah is responsible for gathering the information of the present situation of rickshaws in Singapore and to reproduce them as introduction of the media report. She also does the voice-over for 2 parts of the video - the introduction and the summing up of the interview with Mr Boo. Her role also includes setting up of this blog.
Vicky is responsible for researching on the history of rickshaws in Singapore and to prepare the conclusion of this project. She does the voice-over for 2 parts of the video- the history and the conclusion. She also helps to edit and assemble the different parts of the media report.
Angelin is responsible for preparing questions and conducting the interview with Mr Boo. She does the voice-over for the interview in the media report. She also helps to add information onto this blog such as the Google maps for the location of rickshaws, slideshow of pictures, images and quotes.
Maisarah is responsible for gathering the information of the present situation of rickshaws in Singapore and to reproduce them as introduction of the media report. She also does the voice-over for 2 parts of the video - the introduction and the summing up of the interview with Mr Boo. Her role also includes setting up of this blog.
Vicky is responsible for researching on the history of rickshaws in Singapore and to prepare the conclusion of this project. She does the voice-over for 2 parts of the video- the history and the conclusion. She also helps to edit and assemble the different parts of the media report.
Angelin is responsible for preparing questions and conducting the interview with Mr Boo. She does the voice-over for the interview in the media report. She also helps to add information onto this blog such as the Google maps for the location of rickshaws, slideshow of pictures, images and quotes.
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