SINGAPORE: Trishaws have stopped plying the streets of Singapore since June 2023, after the contract of the country’s last trishaw operator ended and was not renewed.
The operator, Trishaw Uncle, had run trishaw tours from Albert Mall Trishaw Park on Queen Street since 2010.
Trishaw Uncle executive Tieu Xin Yue told CNA that the company had obtained its licence to operate through a contract with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“Prior to the end of our contract term, which (was) last May, we were told that we will have to return the site for other uses,” Ms Tieu said on Tuesday (Apr 9).
Trishaw Uncle was the last remaining licensed trishaw operator at the time its contract expired end-May 2023, she added.
STB’s director of travel agents and tourist guides Annie Chang confirmed that the site of Trishaw Park at Queen Street was “returned to the relevant agencies for their review on usage of the site”.
“There are currently no other trishaw services operating in Singapore,” she added.
Ms Tieu said that after Trishaw Uncle was informed it could not continue to use the Queen Street space, it spoke to STB about the possibility of using another site.
Trishaw Uncle shortlisted potential sites in Chinatown, Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay for discussion with STB last year.
But the business was not able to find a suitable place, as it was informed that the shortlisted sites had other uses or that it was not allowed to use the space, said Ms Tieu.
She added that apart from being a site where trishaws can be parked, the company also needs to consider access to tour routes when choosing a site. “It needs to tick all the boxes before we decide that it’s a good place,” she said.
Trishaw Uncle owned 100 trishaws but scrapped these shortly after its contract ended, as it was unable to find a suitable holding place for them, added Ms Tieu.
The company used to run tours covering popular tourist destinations like Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and the Civic District.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trishaw Uncle hired about 40 to 50 trishaw riders, most of them on a part-time basis. This dropped to about 20 active riders after the pandemic.
Ms Tieu said the trishaw tours represented Singapore’s heritage and were “an icon” of the country.
“If there’s an alternative site, of course we will be willing to restart these operations,” she added.
STB said: “Many of our local tour operators offer a variety of tours in new and different formats. We are confident that many of these offerings will appeal to both international and local visitors.”
CNA has contacted the tourism bureau for more information.