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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Megan Nolett.

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<v Speaker 2>And I'm Patrick Woodward. Spotlight uses a special English method

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<v Speaker 2>of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand no

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<v Speaker 2>matter where in the world they live.

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<v Speaker 1>This is the sound of a tuktuk or auto rickshaw.

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<v Speaker 1>These small, brightly colored vehicles have only three wheels. Some

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<v Speaker 1>tuk tuks have no windows. Their engines are not very powerful,

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<v Speaker 1>but the humble tuktu has a broad appeal for millions

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<v Speaker 1>of people. The auto rickshaw is the most important form

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<v Speaker 1>of transportation that they have.

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<v Speaker 2>Today's Spotlight is all about the tuktok. We look at

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<v Speaker 2>how these vehicles have helped countries improve their economies. We

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<v Speaker 2>examine the important role tuktook's play in transportation. Together, we

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<v Speaker 2>will explore the huge power of the small tuktok.

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<v Speaker 1>Before the auto rickshaw, there was the rickshaw. These human

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<v Speaker 1>powered carts usually had two wheels. A person would sit

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<v Speaker 1>in a seat at the back while another pulled the

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<v Speaker 1>cart behind them. A strong rickshaw driver could pull two

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<v Speaker 1>or three people, but pulling a rickshaw is hard on

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<v Speaker 1>the body. Rickshaw drivers once worked seventeen to eighteen hours

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<v Speaker 1>a day to survive. They ran tens of miles a day.

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<v Speaker 1>Many countries have banned this kind of transportation because it

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<v Speaker 1>is so bad for the driver.

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<v Speaker 2>Tuktooks were first invented in Japan as a less expensive

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<v Speaker 2>form of car during the nineteen thirties, but these quickly

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<v Speaker 2>found business applications after World War II. Tuktook could carry

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<v Speaker 2>four or five people, many more than a rickshaw, but

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<v Speaker 2>they cost less than a car or truck. These vehicles

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<v Speaker 2>used less fuel, they were easier to maintain. Most importantly,

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<v Speaker 2>tuktooks were easier on drivers' bodies.

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<v Speaker 1>Tuktooks soon became popular all over Southeast Asia, especially in

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<v Speaker 1>large cities like Bangkok. Cities like Bangkok have heavy traffic.

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<v Speaker 1>It is difficult for big cars and trucks to move.

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<v Speaker 1>Tuk tuks are a perfect solution to this problem. These

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<v Speaker 1>smaller vehicles can get into places others cannot. Tuktuks can

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<v Speaker 1>turn more quickly and get out of dangerous situations where

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<v Speaker 1>traffic signals are not clear. Cam Weir's is a travel writer.

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<v Speaker 1>He rode in a tuktuk while visiting India. He said.

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<v Speaker 3>Most places where vehicles cross do not have lights. Traffic

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<v Speaker 3>rarely stops street signs are just a guide.

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<v Speaker 2>Tuktoks also have other advantages. In large cities, These take

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<v Speaker 2>up less space than bigger vehicles. It is easier to

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<v Speaker 2>park and store them. Drivers do not have to pay

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<v Speaker 2>as much for the space. It is so easy to

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<v Speaker 2>repair an old tuktok that someone good with an engine

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<v Speaker 2>can do it on their own. As time went on,

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<v Speaker 2>they became a cheap alternative for transport. Auto ripshaws are

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<v Speaker 2>less expensive for drivers and for those who ride.

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<v Speaker 1>Doctor Sujai Suneitha has lived in Hyderabad, India for over

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<v Speaker 1>thirty years. He and his wife started a small hospital

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<v Speaker 1>twenty years ago. Many of the Zuneitha's patients are poor.

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<v Speaker 1>They do not own cars or motorcycles. They must walk

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<v Speaker 1>to the hospital. They cannot walk if it is too far.

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<v Speaker 1>They can only afford a ride in a tuktuuk or

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<v Speaker 1>a bus. Doctor Sunita says.

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<v Speaker 4>Tuktooks are one of the cheapest and most helpful ways

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<v Speaker 4>to travel in India. Some patients are tuktook drivers themselves.

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<v Speaker 4>They store their vehicles outside of the hospital when they

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<v Speaker 4>come for treatment. I also take a tuktok to the

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<v Speaker 4>hospital each day.

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<v Speaker 2>People visiting these cities also like to use tuk tuks. Today,

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<v Speaker 2>the bright colored tuktooks of Bangkok are famous. Some people

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<v Speaker 2>visiting the city prefer to use these vehicles instead of cars.

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<v Speaker 2>A tuktook driver must know the best way around the city.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes drivers share the history of the city with travelers,

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<v Speaker 2>or they tell stories about experiences they have had in

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<v Speaker 2>the city. They are friendly and welcoming. This adds to

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<v Speaker 2>the enjoyment of the trip.

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<v Speaker 1>The tuktook's design also makes the ride more interesting. There

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<v Speaker 1>are no doors, travelers can see, hear, and smell everything

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<v Speaker 1>around them. Many visitors wish to take at least one

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<v Speaker 1>tuktook ride before returning home. Their trip would not be

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<v Speaker 1>complete without experiencing it. The tuktuk has become a symbol

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<v Speaker 1>of South Asia's culture.

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<v Speaker 2>Today, a person can find a tuktok in almost any

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<v Speaker 2>country they go to. They are popular in Egypt, Pakistan, China,

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<v Speaker 2>South Africa, and Italy. In twenty twenty two, there were

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<v Speaker 2>ninety two thousand tuk tuks in Delhi, India alone. Even

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<v Speaker 2>the United States of America has some auto rickshaws in

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<v Speaker 2>its larger cities. Peter Metzler is the creative director of

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<v Speaker 2>the Manhattan Rickshaw Company in New York City. His auto

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<v Speaker 2>rickshaws are built like electric bicycles, he told the Smithsonian magazine.

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<v Speaker 5>When technology met the rickshaw, everything changed. Modern tuktuks have

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<v Speaker 5>liquid breaks, They have devices to stop harmful movement. They

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<v Speaker 5>have complete lighting systems, seat belts, full weather coverings, steel frames,

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<v Speaker 5>and lightly made bodies.

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<v Speaker 1>One issue that tuktuks have is the pollution that their

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<v Speaker 1>engines create. Many auto rickshaws are still quite old. The

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<v Speaker 1>people who made them did not know about the harm

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<v Speaker 1>that pollution could cause. Some countries have had to ban

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<v Speaker 1>cir certain tuktooks from their cities because of these problems.

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<v Speaker 1>Others have begun replacing traditional tuktoks with electric ones. These

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<v Speaker 1>new tuk tuks are a little more expensive for drivers,

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<v Speaker 1>but one day, these more energy efficient vehicles may become

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<v Speaker 1>the future of transportation in many countries.

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<v Speaker 2>People in many nations depend on tuktooks every day. They

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<v Speaker 2>make money with tuktooks. They ride in auto rickshaws to

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<v Speaker 2>work or to school. They discover history and culture on

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<v Speaker 2>these vehicles, and they do it all while riding on

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<v Speaker 2>three wheels.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you ever written in a Tuktouk. Did you like

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<v Speaker 1>or dislike it? You can leave a comment on our

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<v Speaker 1>website at www dot Spotlight English dot com. You can

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<v Speaker 1>also find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky and x.

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<v Speaker 1>You can also get our programs delivered directly to your

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<v Speaker 1>Android or Apple device through our free official Spotlight English app.

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<v Speaker 2>The writer of this program was Pete Anderson. The producer

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<v Speaker 2>was Dan Christman. The voices you heard were from the

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<v Speaker 2>United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted

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<v Speaker 2>for this program and voiced by Spotlight. This program is

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<v Speaker 2>called the Tuk Tuk.

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<v Speaker 1>We hope you can join us again for the next

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<v Speaker 1>Spotlight program. Goodbye,