Speaker 1: Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Megan Nolett.
Speaker 2: And I'm Patrick Woodward. Spotlight uses a special English method
Speaker 2: of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no
Speaker 2: matter where in the world they live.
Speaker 1: This is the sound of a tuktuk or auto rickshaw.
Speaker 1: These small, brightly colored vehicles have only three wheels. Some
Speaker 1: tuk tuks have no windows. Their engines are not very powerful,
Speaker 1: but the humble tuktu has a broad appeal for millions
Speaker 1: of people. The auto rickshaw is the most important form
Speaker 1: of transportation that they have.
Speaker 2: Today's Spotlight is all about the tuktok. We look at
Speaker 2: how these vehicles have helped countries improve their economies. We
Speaker 2: examine the important role tuktook's play in transportation. Together, we
Speaker 2: will explore the huge power of the small tuktok.
Speaker 1: Before the auto rickshaw, there was the rickshaw. These human
Speaker 1: powered carts usually had two wheels. A person would sit
Speaker 1: in a seat at the back while another pulled the
Speaker 1: cart behind them. A strong rickshaw driver could pull two
Speaker 1: or three people, but pulling a rickshaw is hard on
Speaker 1: the body. Rickshaw drivers once worked seventeen to eighteen hours
Speaker 1: a day to survive. They ran tens of miles a day.
Speaker 1: Many countries have banned this kind of transportation because it
Speaker 1: is so bad for the driver.
Speaker 2: Tuktooks were first invented in Japan as a less expensive
Speaker 2: form of car during the nineteen thirties, but these quickly
Speaker 2: found business applications after World War II. Tuktook could carry
Speaker 2: four or five people, many more than a rickshaw, but
Speaker 2: they cost less than a car or truck. These vehicles
Speaker 2: used less fuel, they were easier to maintain. Most importantly,
Speaker 2: tuktooks were easier on drivers' bodies.
Speaker 1: Tuktooks soon became popular all over Southeast Asia, especially in
Speaker 1: large cities like Bangkok. Cities like Bangkok have heavy traffic.
Speaker 1: It is difficult for big cars and trucks to move.
Speaker 1: Tuk tuks are a perfect solution to this problem. These
Speaker 1: smaller vehicles can get into places others cannot. Tuktuks can
Speaker 1: turn more quickly and get out of dangerous situations where
Speaker 1: traffic signals are not clear. Cam Weir's is a travel writer.
Speaker 1: He rode in a tuktuk while visiting India. He said.
Speaker 3: Most places where vehicles cross do not have lights. Traffic
Speaker 3: rarely stops street signs are just a guide.
Speaker 2: Tuktoks also have other advantages. In large cities, These take
Speaker 2: up less space than bigger vehicles. It is easier to
Speaker 2: park and store them. Drivers do not have to pay
Speaker 2: as much for the space. It is so easy to
Speaker 2: repair an old tuktok that someone good with an engine
Speaker 2: can do it on their own. As time went on,
Speaker 2: they became a cheap alternative for transport. Auto ripshaws are
Speaker 2: less expensive for drivers and for those who ride.
Speaker 1: Doctor Sujai Suneitha has lived in Hyderabad, India for over
Speaker 1: thirty years. He and his wife started a small hospital
Speaker 1: twenty years ago. Many of the Zuneitha's patients are poor.
Speaker 1: They do not own cars or motorcycles. They must walk
Speaker 1: to the hospital. They cannot walk if it is too far.
Speaker 1: They can only afford a ride in a tuktuuk or
Speaker 1: a bus. Doctor Sunita says.
Speaker 4: Tuktooks are one of the cheapest and most helpful ways
Speaker 4: to travel in India. Some patients are tuktook drivers themselves.
Speaker 4: They store their vehicles outside of the hospital when they
Speaker 4: come for treatment. I also take a tuktok to the
Speaker 4: hospital each day.
Speaker 2: People visiting these cities also like to use tuk tuks. Today,
Speaker 2: the bright colored tuktooks of Bangkok are famous. Some people
Speaker 2: visiting the city prefer to use these vehicles instead of cars.
Speaker 2: A tuktook driver must know the best way around the city.
Speaker 2: Sometimes drivers share the history of the city with travelers,
Speaker 2: or they tell stories about experiences they have had in
Speaker 2: the city. They are friendly and welcoming. This adds to
Speaker 2: the enjoyment of the trip.
Speaker 1: The tuktook's design also makes the ride more interesting. There
Speaker 1: are no doors, travelers can see, hear, and smell everything
Speaker 1: around them. Many visitors wish to take at least one
Speaker 1: tuktook ride before returning home. Their trip would not be
Speaker 1: complete without experiencing it. The tuktuk has become a symbol
Speaker 1: of South Asia's culture.
Speaker 2: Today, a person can find a tuktok in almost any
Speaker 2: country they go to. They are popular in Egypt, Pakistan, China,
Speaker 2: South Africa, and Italy. In twenty twenty two, there were
Speaker 2: ninety two thousand tuk tuks in Delhi, India alone. Even
Speaker 2: the United States of America has some auto rickshaws in
Speaker 2: its larger cities. Peter Metzler is the creative director of
Speaker 2: the Manhattan Rickshaw Company in New York City. His auto
Speaker 2: rickshaws are built like electric bicycles, he told the Smithsonian magazine.
Speaker 5: When technology met the rickshaw, everything changed. Modern tuktuks have
Speaker 5: liquid breaks, They have devices to stop harmful movement. They
Speaker 5: have complete lighting systems, seat belts, full weather coverings, steel frames,
Speaker 5: and lightly made bodies.
Speaker 1: One issue that tuktuks have is the pollution that their
Speaker 1: engines create. Many auto rickshaws are still quite old. The
Speaker 1: people who made them did not know about the harm
Speaker 1: that pollution could cause. Some countries have had to ban
Speaker 1: cir certain tuktooks from their cities because of these problems.
Speaker 1: Others have begun replacing traditional tuktoks with electric ones. These
Speaker 1: new tuk tuks are a little more expensive for drivers,
Speaker 1: but one day, these more energy efficient vehicles may become
Speaker 1: the future of transportation in many countries.
Speaker 2: People in many nations depend on tuktooks every day. They
Speaker 2: make money with tuktooks. They ride in auto rickshaws to
Speaker 2: work or to school. They discover history and culture on
Speaker 2: these vehicles, and they do it all while riding on
Speaker 2: three wheels.
Speaker 1: Have you ever written in a Tuktouk. Did you like
Speaker 1: or dislike it? You can leave a comment on our
Speaker 1: website at www dot Spotlight English dot com. You can
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Speaker 1: Android or Apple device through our free official Spotlight English app.
Speaker 2: The writer of this program was Pete Anderson. The producer
Speaker 2: was Dan Christman. The voices you heard were from the
Speaker 2: United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted
Speaker 2: for this program and voiced by Spotlight. This program is
Speaker 2: called the Tuk Tuk.
Speaker 1: We hope you can join us again for the next
Speaker 1: Spotlight program. Goodbye,