A Green Alternative to a Yellow Cab
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 12. 4.07
The only time I ever get in a cab is when it is pouring rain, so this does not make a lot of sense to me, but it may be "a more sustainable alternative for a fast and flexible travel" from designer Gert-Jan van Breugel.
"The City Swing is a hybrid motorbike cab with seats for three people. Driven by bio-fuel or electricity, and by making use of bus-only lanes, the motorbike cab is faster, more economical and less polluting than present-day cabs."
City Swing's on Broadway means no air pollution and no engine noise. ::Gert-Jan van Breugel via ::Core77
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I can see this working with some tweaks. For example, make the customer seating more like chairs to attract a wider variety of clientele, and put in a rack or something to hold packages, shopping or bookbags, etc.
Hmm.... Not unlike the auto rickshaws used in India and otehr parts of the sub-continent, although the ones used there seem to be a tad safer in terms of the seating.
(see picture here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitesh_damania/197429594/ ).
The problem with the rickshaws in India are that the two stroke engines contribute significantly to urban air pollution.
Apparently in Bangladesh they have tried to address this problem through the use of CNG rickshaws (see here http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncultured/1275486048/ ). They're still not without their problems.
Amazingly, in central parts of Mumbai where auto rickshaws are prohibited, there seems to be less chaos and congestion than in other parts of the city (and other parts of India) where rickshaws abound.
Perhaps things are different in a slower traffic environment like downtown Chicago but this doesn't look safe at all
People will fall, people will die.
not only not safe, but what a good way to spread lice! i mean, people would have to share helmets - and who wants lice and who knows what else from someone else's head! this idea just screams gross to me!
That does not look very safe, especially in high traffic cities like New York. It's also not practical as the operator wouldn't be able to operate it in the winter time nor during bad weather.
If they added a roof on this vehicle then I can see it being more practical and safer.
-Diana Moneymaker
How is this more sustainable? Besides, America is fat and old. How are they going to get on this thing? Looks fun though...
Go buy a TucTuc and convert it to burn a clean fuel or to run on electricity ... much better than investing so much money, time, effort, and resources in a new product.
To buy one - http://www.tukshop.biz/
To ride in one - http://www.tuctuc.co.uk/
get ready to spend some mad cash on insurance if you upstart this one! hate to be a party pooper....