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A cycle rickshaw, also known as a '''pedicab''', '''velotaxi''', or '''trishaw''' ("sān lún chē" (), from Tricycle Rickshaw ) is a Human-powered Vehicle For Hire , usually with one or two seats for carrying Passenger s in addition to the driver. Cycle rickshaws are widely used for transportation in many parts of Asia , where they have largely replaced less-efficient hand-pulled Rickshaw s that required the driver to walk or run while pulling the vehicle. The vehicle is powered by the driver pedalling as one would a Bicycle , though some rare configurations also have an electric motor assisting the driver. The vehicle is usually a Tricycle , though some Quadricycle s exist, and some bicycles with trailers are configured as rickshaws. The configuration of the driver's and passenger's seat varies, though in general only one configuration is common in any given region. For example, in South Asia , the passenger seat is mounted behind the driver's, while in Indonesia the driver sits behind the passenger seat. In the Philippines , the seats are usually mounted side-by-side. Cycle rickshaws are known as ''cyclo'' (pronounced see-clo) in Cambodia and Vietnam , ''cycle rickshaw'' in India and Bangladesh , ''samlor'' (literally "three wheels") in Thailand , ''trishaw'' in Malaysia and Singapore , and ''becak'' in Indonesia. In the Philippines, they are called ''tricycle/traysikel'', ''traysikad'', ''pedicab'', or ''padyak''. Cycle rickshaws are known as ''saika'' in Myanmar , a transliteration of English "side car". .]] Cycle rickshaws are also used in some European and North American cities, where they are most often found near tourist attractions. There are several American and European manufacturers of cycle rickshaws, which often incorporate features not found in developing-world vehicles, such as Hydraulic Disc Brake s and lightweight Fibreglass bodies. ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL ASPECTS In many Asian cities where they are widely used, rickshaw driving provides essential employment recent agricultural laborers from rural areas of Java .Azuma, Yoshifumi (2003). ''Urban peasants: beca drivers in Jakarta''. Jakarta: Pustaka Sinar Harapan. In 2003, Dhaka rickshaw drivers earned an estimated average of Tk 143 (US$2.38) per day, of which they paid about Tk 50 (US$0.80) to rent the rickshaw for a day. Older, long-term drivers earned substantially less. A 1988-89 survey found that Jakarta drivers earned an average of Rp. 2722 (US$ 1.57). These wages, while widely considered very low for such physically demanding work, do in some situations compare favorably to other jobs available to unskilled workers.Gallagher, Rob (1992). ''The rickshaws of Bangladesh''. Dhaka: The University Press Limited. In many cities, most drivers do not own their own rickshaws; instead, they rent them from their owners, some of whom own many rickshaws. Driver-ownership rates vary widely. In Delhi , a 1980 study found only one percent of drivers owned their vehicles, but rates in several other Indian cities were much higher, including fifteen percent in Hyderabad and twenty-two percent in Faridabad . A 1977 study in Chiang Mai , Thailand found that 44% of rickshaw drivers were owners. In Bangladesh, driver-ownership is usually highest in rural areas and lowest in the larger cities. Most rickshaws in that country are owned by individuals who have only one or two of them, but some owners in the largest cities own several hundred. Some countries and cities have banned or restricted cycle rickshaws. They are often prohibited in Congested Areas of major cities. For example, they were banned in Bangkok in the mid 1960s as not fitting the city's modern image. In Dhaka and Jakarta , they are no longer permitted on major roads, but are still used to provide transportation within individual urban neighborhoods. They are banned entirely in Pakistan . While they have been criticized for causing congestion, rickshaws are also often hailed as environmentally-friendly, inexpensive modes of transportation. FILM
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