EcoCab Offers Toronto Green Short-Distance Transportation
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 04.24.08
EcoCabs has just arrived in Toronto, Canada. The 3-wheel vehicles are powered mostly by the driver's legs, but there's also an electric-motor assist to help them reach a cruising speed of up to 12 kph (7.5 mph) in city streets. Perfect for short distance trips, especially if you are a tourist (free rides will be offered during summer street festivals and special events), EcoCab claims to exceed the road safety standards that apply to it. "They will ride in the right-most lane and in bike lanes, where the average speed of traffic is 6 km per hour," says Will Kozma, president of GO Mobile Media, the company that sells advertising on the ad-supported cabs.
There are 28 EcoCabs in the fleet, which will offer residents and tourists short-distance, emission-free transportation between office buildings, transit stations, shopping areas, restaurants and entertainment attractions.
EcoCabs might be coming to Vancouver and Montreal next.
::EcoCab Comes to Toronto (Photos by Roger Cullman.)
More Green Cabs and Taxis Articles
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eco cabs have been flying around dublin for the past year free of charge!
rickshaw????
Fond memories of Toronto -- me and my friends hiring two rickshaws and racing across this city late at night. My rickshaw driver wasn't up to speed, so I jumped out of the rickshaw to help him, and us, win the race... hundreds of dollars later (he did charge us, even though I helped...)
I'm concerned that these 3-wheelers will be allowed to drive in the bike lanes, espcially because they can be powered if needed. If I were a professional rickshaw driver, I'd be powering that baby as much as possible, especially when heading north. I think these bikes should stick to the right lane and fight the traffic with all the other cars; only individual bikers should get the pleasure of a bike lane. How hard and dangerous will it be passing one of those things (I'm thinking about the bikers who like speed...)
I think these are a great idea and want to know where to buy one.
Useless. They only travel in a very small area, so just walk.