Melbourne’s Bike Cabs Make the Commute Greener (and Way More Fun)

Melbourne’s transportation system has become a little bit greener (and whole lot more fun) with the arrival of Melbourne Bike Cabs. They're the brainchild of industrial designer Tim Collins and artist Stephen Mushin, who are both passionate about rescuing the environment through innovative design. Many cities in the world including London, New York and Paris are home to rickshaws, and given Melbourne’s geography, it seems like a no-brainer.

"Melbourne is well-known for being one of the most liveable cities in the world, but there are things that still need improving," explains Collins. "Traffic congestion in town is worsening, getting from A to B has never been so stressful and our air quality is deteriorating too. We simply use cars too much, especially for short trips and entering the CBD. With traffic lanes being removed to make way for wider bike lanes, driving is becoming less and less appealing."

Melbourne Bike Cabs are here to counter all this. They're run on a combo of pedal power and tiny electric motors, which are driven by lithium batteries recharged with renewable energy. So they're faster than walking, more accurate and efficient than trams and trains, and more sustainable than taxis. In fact, if everyone used Bike Cabs for short trips (as opposed to taxis), we'd save up to twenty tonnes of carbon every year. That's equivalent to planting about two thousand trees. Collins describes his pedi-cabs as "a modern revival of the classic cycle-rickshaw from around the world."

What’s more, they're surprisingly affordable. For quick trips, flag fall costs just $5 and each kilometre just $2.50 a pop. Tours are available at the cost of $30 per half-hour. That's looking like some serious competition for the Melbourne taxi industry.

In start-up mode at the moment, the business currently has two vehicles cruising around the Melbourne CBD. "The response has been overwhelmingly encouraging," Collins says. "People from all corners of Melbourne and beyond are really getting behind us." Passengers have lauded the service's convenience, fun factor and the fact that it gets you from door-to-door.

So Collins and Mushin are working hard to expand as quickly as possible. To do that, they've set up a Pozible campaign that aims, not only to raise funds, but also to connect with supporters. Money raised will be used to get more pedi-cabs on the road and pay for a bunch of logistical and administrative needs, including insurance, council permits and bike storage. The good news is that any pledge of $30 or more buys you a stack of Bike Cab rides. And by the way, Kimbra's a huge fan.