All, This is me indulging in my idiosyncrasy of going after specifics. Those interested in going down my merry path read on. Others, please hit the delete key.
Venantius Hello Nasci, Gabe et al, I was in Thailand in 2001 and yes they do refer to rickshaws as tuk tuk on account of their two stroke engines. This is the understood diminutive (in this case, as in affectionately) for the rickshaw in Thailand. They just dont shout it from the rooftops but you do hear the drivers say it. While in Thailand, I had confirmed whether what I was occassionaly hearing was indeed - tuk tuk, with my Thai friend Pharanai Suwannatat whose wedding I was there to attend. He affirmed. I also Iooked up the ubiquitous web for some references from Thais and those living in Thailand. The last piece is on South Asian tackling Rickshaw pollution. Now we may have our own legends - as the one which Nasci C mentioned of the sound made by the ticket punch used by ticket conductors on trams and buses in Bombay(Mumbai) of recent yore. But grant the Thai their tuk tuk. We can have our tuc tuc, khat khat, khit khit, tik tik, tick tock, dhoom dham, dham dhoom and other onomatopoeic variants. : ) Anyway, this was fun putting together. This is a site maintained by a Thai woman based in England. From: http://www.thaicorner.co.uk/theme_5.html Transport. Transport in Thailand is very cheap. Cheapest would be SAMLOS (bicycle powered rickshaws) followed by motorised rickshaws called tuk tuks because of the sound they make. Negotiate your fare in advance. To own your own TUK TUK, contact: Tuk Tuk Industry Thailand, 463-465 Prachathipok Road, Bangkok. http://www.tweak.com/vagabond/floppythai/chiangmai/tuktuk.html Good Site: http://www.thailand.com/travel/getthere/getthere_bangkok_around_tuktuk.htm http://www.gdrc.org/uem/sustran/stran-39.html 1. SOUTH ASIA STARTS TO TACKLE AUTO RICKSHAW POLLUTION Air pollution from South Asia's 3-wheeler taxis (known as Auto Rickshaws or "baby taxis") is prompting action. These vehicles are South Asia's version of Thailand's "Tuk Tuk" or the Philippines' "tricycles". In India, Bajaj auto, the manufacturer of the three wheeled autorickshaws, has announced that it will stop production of its two-stroke model, as it had developed a less polluting four stroke engine. In addition, a four stroke CNG autorickshaw is being released. The vehicle is claimed to deliver 50 km per kg of CNG. A three litre stand-by petrol tank is also included, for emergencies. Bajaj hopes to produce the vehicle at the rate of 1000 a month by July at its Pune plant. In Nepal, diesel-run auto-rickshaws, have been banned altogether after a campaign by environmentalists against them. They have been at least partially replaced by battery-operated three- wheelers, called "safa tempo" (clean tempo), which do not emit smoke or the loud noises associated with diesel auto-rickshaws. In Dhaka, about 400 auto rickshaw mechanics recently took part in the first of a series of training programs. It focused on maintaining and repairing engines, and advising drivers on the proper quality and quantity of lubricant oils. These are two simple practices that can drastically reduce emissions. For example, baby taxi drivers typically use as much as 10 percent four-stroke engine oil with their petrol. But by using only 3 percent of quality two-stroke engine oil, they could save money and reduce emissions. The workshops are being run by an NGO, the Society for Urban Environmental Protection and Uttara Motors, with funding from the World Bank and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program, a global technical assistance effort funded by the World Bank, UNDP, and 15 public and private donors. There are an estimated 50,000 auto rickshaws in Dhaka, most of them using two-stroke engines. They contribute approximately 35 percent of particles and nearly half of hydrocarbons emitted by all vehicles. Sources: compiled from forwarded stories from Press Trust of India; BBC World Service News, and the World Bank's Daily Webzine, Development News, http://www.worldbank.org/developmentnews/ (this link is broken) Gabe and all interested persons, > >The word 'tuk tuk' in english and hinglish refers to the 'tuc tuc' sound >coming from the ticket punch used by tram and bus conductors in Bombay of >yore! My Maths and Science teacher, one Mr Keni also of Goan origin; used to >goad us to study and pass with distinction; saying that if not then the only >job possible would be that of 'tuc tuc' the tram conductor! And how right he >is and was too. I have travelled widely in Thailand, Burma and also in >Calcutta, where rickshas are plying; and they are not called 'tuc tuc'. I >hope this goes some way in clarifying this matter. >Bye. >Aum Tho Goenkar! Nasci. > >>From: "Gabe Menezes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>Subject: [Goanet]Rickshaw (TUK TUK) Goan Voice >>Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 18:28:06 -0000 >> >>21 Jan. Stroud News & Journal. Janet and Brian Bowkett, loved their Goa >>holiday so much that they bought back a brand new motorised rickshaw - or >>tuk-tuk as they are known in India - as a memento of their trip. It cost >>them �4,000. See >>: http://www.thisisstroud.com/stroud/news/NEWS10.html >> >> >> >>Question: I always thought that Tuk Tuk was the name given to the rickshaw >>in Bangkok. Can any Goa resident tell me if Rickshaws as called Tuk Tuk in >>India as well? 664 West 163 Street, #57 New York, NY 10032-4527 ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
