Tuk-Tuks for Cape Town!

Tuk-tuks are coming to Cape Town!

The city said on Tuesday that if all goes according to plan, there will be 80 tuk-tuks to start off with in eight areas of the city for travelling distances of three kilometres or less. It is hoped that they will be on the roads by September, in time for the summer season.

A tuk-tuk, for those who haven’t used one, is a three-wheeled motor vehicle designed or modified for transporting not more than three seated persons, including the driver.

The first eight areas will be Fresnaye and Bantry Bay; Sea Point; Green Point; Bo-Kaap and De Waterkant; Tamboerskloof; Walmer Estate, University Estate, Zonnebloem and District Six; Kalk Bay, St James and Fish Hoek; and Simon’s Town.

The tender for the provision of tuk-tuk public transport services was issued on Friday, the city said in a statement. It has not been decided yet how many tuk-tuks will be allowed in each area, although preference would be given to people using electric vehicles.

“The people who will make use of the tuk-tuk vehicles are those who do not necessarily want to make use of a metered taxi service, but also do not want to walk 2 or 3 km to their destination,” said the City’s transport councillor Brett Herron.