Auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaw is the favorite public transport in most parts of India it is a motorized version of the traditional rickshaw. The triangular form of the vehicle makes maneuvering easy, with the single front wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space.
Auto rickshaws have a top-speed of around 50 km/h (about 31 mph) and a cruising speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph), much slower than the automobiles they share the road with.Due to their relatively low top-speed, auto rickshaws have never lent themselves to conventional road or street racing. However, their modest speed, simple construction and impressive fuel economy has endeared them to the international amateur adventuring community, most notably with the Indian Autorickshaw Challenge.
Every travel website will warn you about the menace of autorickshaws in Chennai. Some, however, are painted with bright colours to amuse you! Seen in Dakshina Chitra.
Monkeys on top of an Auto Rickshaw in Delhi, India
Our first sight of the rickshaws we will be driving 1300 KM through Tamil Nadu India.
A typical auto-rickshaw, this one private (and therefore not the usual yellow-black), decorated for a festival. During festivals drivers are often seen take loving care of their vehicles, fancying them up with flower garlands, banana plant leaves, sugarcane stalks and paper streamers. All very bright, fresh and eye-catching.
