16. Mobility, Marginality, and the Cycle-Rickshaw in Indian Cities

As a slow-moving vehicle, the rickshaw has never been popular in the cities of the West, dominated by speed and motorized transport. However, the rickshaw was initiated as a means of intraurban transport in the cities of developing countries by the Western rulers during the colonial period. In the cities of Asia, the rickshaw has always been a popular means of mobility for shorter distances. The smaller the size of the city, the higher is the need of the rickshaw, because most city streets in Asia cannot accommodate motorized public transport. The importance of the rickshaw in Indian cities is significant not only because of its role in carbon-free transport but also for its role in generating livelihoods for a large number of urban poor. It is a significant sector of the informal labor market, accommodating the urban poor as well as fresh migrants from the rural catchment areas of the city. However, at present, in most of the cities of India the rickshaw is being discouraged by city governments as a nonviable mode of transport. This chapter explores the diverse mobility issues and marginality around the rickshaw and rickshaw pullers in Indian cities. The paper is developed from a broad base study on rickshaws in the cities of West Bengal province in India.