A FLEET of motorised rickshaws is set to ferry revellers between venues at next year's Festival.
The six-seater vehicles known as tuk-tuks are a familiar sight in chaotic and congested cities in South East Asia.
But local entrepreneur Colin Mackenzie is bidding to bring them to Edinburgh next August.
The vehicles, which have a top speed
of 30mph, would take people to Fringe venues around the city centre, with a base planned at the Pleasance.
Mr Mackenzie has teamed up with a firm that runs a similar venture in Brighton and said the fares would be somewhere between the cost of a bus and taxi ride.
The Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken has raised concerns about their safety and the prospect of congestion at the Pleasance.
However, Mr Mackenzie said the tuk-tuks he will bring to Edinburgh are a lot safer than others used abroad. They will have seat belts and roll cages.
He said: "I do not see this as a threat to buses or taxis. It is just a fun idea that will fit with the spirit of the city at Festival time.
"The Traffic Commissioner has made some quite specific points which are quite legitimate and fair. However I am confident that at the next meeting we will have the necessary answers."
The tuk-tuks will run on the low-emission fuel LPG and tickets would be available from Fringe venues rather than from drivers.
The venture has won the backing of the Pleasance Theatre and Mr Mackenzie is in talks with other Festival operators.
The tuk-tuk operation in Brighton is along the lines of a taxi company and the fleet of 12 vehicles all have their own distinct designs.
Dominic Ponniah, executive director of the Brighton TucTuc company, said: "I think this will work very well in Edinburgh. There is the novelty factor but they are also a good way of getting around."
Mr Mackenzie has applied to the Transport Commissioner for a licence to run the tuk-tuks. An initial hearing in October saw concerns raised about where they would be stored, their safety record and the possibility of congestion outside the Pleasance venue. A public inquiry will reconvene in February.
The full article contains 378 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
