When asked about tourism icons of Singapore during the 1970s and 1980s, Peter offered two: the Singapore Girl, and the Trishaw. Today, one is still flying high while the other has become increasingly rare in our streets.

cc image by xcode

Peter writes about the decline of the trishaw, once an icon of Singapore tourism:

The trishaws first appeared in Singapore in April 1914 but it was a modest introduction. The sum luen chair became popular in 1947 after rickshaws were phased out from Singapore. Interestingly, the tourism boom from the mid-70s gave trishaw rides a “shot in the arm”. But the new trishaw riders were part-timers, not your Henghua and Hokchia Ah Chek. But the fate of the trishaw was sealed after much improvement to our public transport system of buses and taxis. From 9,000 trishaws and 10,000 riders in 1947, the figures declined to just 350 and 380 respectively in 1988. Now days, you can count with your fingers as to how many trishaws are still on our roads.

To find out about the Trishaw’s role in promoting Singapore’s tourism (and how it once flourished in the 1970s due to its promotion in the tourism campaign), read Peter’s post on Good Morning Yesterday. Does anyone still remember the trishaw display at the departure hall of Changi Airport?