Cyclotaxi Project

In the year 2000, a cyclotaxi manufacturer from Masaya visited San Benito, a town on the Pan American Highway half way between San Francisco Libre and Managua. He encouraged people there to take four cyclotaxis on hire purchase. As the four new cyclotaxi drivers earned fares, and bought their tricycles, other residents were keen to take advantage of this new job opportunity - and in early 2004, 32 cyclotaxies could be found plying the streets of the town.

The experience of San Benito has been echoed in towns across Nicaragua, and now there is great interest in this form of transport in San Francisco Libre, both from would be cyclotaxi drivers, and prospective passengers.

Cyclotaxis have proved popular for journeys of up to 1.5 Km (about 1 mile) in small towns. They are cheaper to run (and therefore cheaper to travel in) than motor taxis, and are cheaper to maintain than a horse and cart. Also, they are easy to repair, and the fact that they are manufactured in Nicaragua means that spare parts are readily available. They are used by a variety of people, including children going to school, women going to health centres and people returning from shops and markets with their purchases. Some are used to carry agricultural produce or traded goods.

Given the enthusiasm for this project, Paul Starkey provided $500 from RSFLA funds when he visited SFL in February. That money was sufficient to buy two cyclotaxis, in order to kindle interest in the scheme. Upon Paul's return to Reading, the RSFLA decided to donate a further $500 to give the Cyclotaxi project the start in SFL that it had been given in San Benito.