RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The streets of Richmond are typically filled with cars, buses, scooters and bicyclists, but if you’ve been in and out of the city recently, you may have noticed something new and different rolling around downtown.
They’re called ‘tuk-tuks,’ and a vacation to Lisbon, Portugal, was all the inspiration David and Lyndsi Austin needed to bring them to RVA.
“The vision of bringing them here and what it could mean to the community, it captured us from the very minute we saw them,” L. Austin said.
“We think it’s going to be a wonderful amenity for the city, for the residents, I think it will enhance their experience in the city,” Austin added. “It’ll help bring customers to the door for businesses, it’ll attract people from the outside into the city.”
Tuk-tuks are expected to be used for brewery tours, festivals and even private bookings for transportation around downtown Richmond. For drivers like Martha Harper, the opportunity to use a tuk-tuk was hard to pass up.
“The open-air feel of it that you are connected to the city, the wind in your hair and you’re going along,” Harper explained. “It’s just kind of a fun ride, it’s a novelty but I think also it serves a really good function.”
With four tuk-tuks already actively operating in the city, the Austins said they plan to add even more in the future.
CLICK HERE to read more about RVATukTuk or to book a trip.
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