Uber Cool

Feb 1954

Wander along Clarke Quay and you'll see a host of 'trishaw uncles' waiting for tourists or those drunk enough to pay S$30 for a 10-minute ride. But in pre-independent Singapore, they were probably the original Uber. Evolved from the man-powered rickshaw, trishaws first surfaced in Singapore in 1914, but gained popularity in the 1940s, especially during the Japanese Occupation. Here, a family goes Chinese New Year visiting in their rented wheels.

Trishaw riders were either ex-rickshaw pullers or former coolies - they could earn anything from S$3 to S$20 a day, before the advent of taxis which have since reduced them into tourist attractions. But with the ever-increasing COE rates, we might see the trishaw making a comeback as a legitimate means of transport again. Just bring an umbrella with you.