From their heyday in the 1940s to their demise: The end of trishaws in Singapore

Decades ago, trishaws used to be one of the most popular modes of public transport in Singapore, but today, they no longer ply the streets.

On Tuesday (Apr 9), the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) confirmed with CNA that no trishaw service is operating in the country after the contract of the last operator ended and was not renewed.

From taking people through crowded inner-city streets in the 1940s to becoming a tourist attraction and their eventual demise, CNA journeys through the history of trishaws in Singapore. 1914 – 1943: FROM RICKSHAWS TO TRISHAWS

The trishaw evolved from the rickshaw – a small, two-wheeled cart pulled by a man.

Originating from Japan, rickshaws were first seen in Singapore in the 1880s.

They were one of the earliest modes of transport in Singapore, alongside steam trams and bullock carts.

The first trishaws were officially registered in Singapore in 1914, according to Roots, a website by the National Heritage Board (NHB). Known as “pedal rickshaws”, these early trishaws were essentially modified rickshaws attached to bicycles.

But the initial batch of 15 trishaws was said to be “crudely constructed” and did not last long on Singapore’s streets, according to the National Library Board’s (NLB) Infopedia website.

(A man pedalling trishaw along Dunlop Street in 2002. (Photo: Liesel Strauss collection, National Library, Singapore)

During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945, trishaws were reintroduced.

The first batch of 10 trishaws plied the streets on Aug 7, 1943, with an official fare rate of 15 cents per mile.

The operator rented out each trishaw at 80 cents per day, according to an article in the Syonan Times – a propaganda newspaper that was run by the Japanese military during the Occupation.

1940s: POST-WAR BOOM

Trishaw numbers surged in the 1940s, especially after the Japanese Occupation when petrol for motor vehicles was scarce. Colonial authorities abolished rickshaws in 1947, prompting many rickshaw pullers to transition to trishaw riders.

(Trishaws at Geylang Serai market in 1992. Photo: Liesel Strauss Collection, National Library, Singapore)

(Tourists enjoy an afternoon trishaw ride along Serangoon Road in Singapore, Aug 11, 2015. (Photo: iStock/mura)

(A trishaw with passengers makes its way over Elgin Bridge, Dec 26, 2018. (Photo: iStock/KHellon)

Trishaw Uncle was the last sole licensed operator of trishaw tours in Singapore, but it ended its contract with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in May 2023.

(Trishaw Uncle's stand that used to be located on Albert Street in Singapore. Photo: iStock/CharlieTong)

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, Ms Tieu said.

Ref: From their heyday in the 1940s to their demise: The end of trishaws in Singapore (CNA)

Photo Credit- National Library Singapore, iStock/Charlie Tong, mura, KHellon