INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Tricycles observed in other Asian countries
Photo 12 . A fleet of passenger tricycles lining up at Jakarta MRT station for passengers .
Photo13 : The above passenger tricycles used in Bangladesh are either powered by LPG or battery . ( Photo courtesy of Ar Dr Goh Ai Tee ).
Tricycles are also commonly used in other Asian countries , mainly to ferry passengers for an affordable fee . Such passenger tricycles are very basic in fabrication , unattractive but functional .
1 . Suited to poor road conditions . Rural roads are not well suited to conventional lowground-clearance vehicles , and high-speed vehicles have little advantage for short trips on bad roads . Tricycle pickup ’ s ground clearance is normally greater than 180mm .
2 . Low price . A half-ton tricycle pickup costs about half as much as a half-ton conventional truck .
3 . Easy to maintain . While tricycle pickups may break down frequently , they do not require expensive parts or specialised repair skills .
4 . Easy to drive . Tricycle pickup drivers do not need much training and as such the driving license is cheaper and easier to obtain than for conventional cars and trucks .
5 . More comfortable and faster than farm tractors . Tricycle pickups are intermediate between farm tractors and conventional trucks in comfort and speed .
6 . Lower fees and taxes than trucks . Tricycle pickups are subject to lower taxes and fees than trucks , though the amount varies greatly .
Economies of Scale The fact that China has a huge number of farmers in rural areas has resulted in the lower cost of production of tricycle pickups for multiple uses in terms of purchase price , operation and maintenance cost . In 2021 , the Wuling Hongguang MINIEV was the best-selling car model in China , with a sales volume of 426,480 units . The Volkswagen Lavida was the second best-selling model with sales of approximately 391,360 units that year . Tricycle pickup prices range from USD300 onwards for small opencabin single-seat vehicles with motorcycle handlebars , hand-crank starting , and a threespeed transmission .
56 VOL 97 JANUARY - MARCH 2024