The invention of Cyclos in 1936
The history of cyclos in Vietnam is quite interesting. Before the introduction of Cyclos, the dominant form of transportation was manually pulled carts. In response, the French Department of Public Works initiated trials in the early 1930s to adopt tricycles, unveiling their innovative designs in Paris through public exhibitions that even featured the Tour de France victor at Bois de Boulogne.
A couple of years after the debut of these initial prototypes, Pierre Morice Coupeaud took it upon himself to create and manually build his own version for export to Indochina.
Coupeaud was perfectly positioned for such an endeavor. Having lived in Indochina since the early 1920s, he owned Établissements Pierre Coupeaud et Cie, a bicycle business in Phnom Penh.
Upon his return to Cambodia with his prototype, Coupeaud was able to sign a contract with the then government and manufacture the inaugural series of “vélo-pousse” or “pousse-pousse” (the term for human-powered cyclos/ rickshaws at that time). Therefore, the cyclo was first introduced in 1936, with Pierre Morice Coupeaud as its inventor.
Coupeaud tried replicating this success in Saigon but was met with skepticism, as many deemed his invention too innovative for the time.
The first appearance of cyclos in Vietnam - 1938
On February 9, 1936, Pierre Morice Coupeaud started a promoting event to introduce his invention “cyclos” to Vietnam. With two trained local cyclists, he organized a trial run from the Chamber of Commerce in Phnom Penh to Saigon (240 kilometers) to demonstrate the usage of his cyclos.
Setting off at 4pm, the cyclists embarked on an overnight journey, reaching Saigon by 9:30am the following day, covering the full distance in 17 hours and 20 minutes. Factoring out a 50-minute ferry crossing, they maintained an average pace of about 15 kilometers per hour. This was faster than any of the human-powered rickshaws at that time.
After the highly publicized and successful trial run from Phnom Penh to Saigon, the Saigon mayor sanctioned the deployment of the initial 20 cyclos for communal service. By 1939, the number of cyclos in Saigon had reached 200. By 1940, the traditional “pousse-pousse,” or manually operated rickshaw, had become obsolete.
The cyclos first made it to Hanoi
Cyclos were supposed to first appear in Hanoi instead of Saigon, however, the process finally did not make it. In 1936, there were two contractors, Tran Viet Thanh and Le Hua, who first requested the government of Hanoi to approve the circulation of cyclos in Hanoi. However, the requests were denied.
In December 1937, the Omium Indochinois Company (OMIC) – the entity with the largest fleet of hand-pulled rickshaws in Hanoi, submitted a request for permission to operate cyclos in place of some previously licensed hand-pulled ones. At that time, the city had already adopted a policy in favor of cyclo operations, thus prompting OMIC to submit samples of the models already in use in other cities across Indochina.
In 1938, the first cyclos operated by the OMIC company made their debut on the streets of Hanoi. OMIC was the pioneering company to manage cyclo services in Hanoi. Initially starting with a few dozen, the fleet expanded to about 60 cyclos and continued to grow. By 1940, OMIC had 91 cyclos in operation and requested permission for an additional 33 cyclos to replace the previously permitted hand-pulled carts, bringing their total to 124 cyclos. This fleet continued to offer rental services in the following years in Hanoi.
By June 1941, OMIC remained the sole cyclo service provider in Hanoi. In a letter responding to the Consul of Phúc Yên, who requested information about cyclos (design, price, supplier, etc.), the Director of Hanoi stated that as of that time (June 1941), “in Hanoi, only the OMIC company owned cyclos for rent.”
The rise of cyclos in Vietnam since 1940
Starting from the 1940s, the cyclo continued to be a popular mode of transportation. It outperformed bicycles with its ability to transport goods and carry multiple passengers at once, such as mothers and their children. Additionally, at that time, the majority of people simply did not have the financial means to purchase bicycles.
The cost of a cyclo ride was initially not cheap, but this price soon changed.
Its design was relatively simple and easy to replicate, with materials that were inexpensive and readily available at local markets, especially from stolen goods sources.
As the conflict shifted towards a fight against imperialism, the cyclo quickly grew in both numbers and ubiquity.
According to an article by journalist Phang Xi Pang, in 1994, within Saigon alone, incomplete statistics from the Transportation Department of the Public Works Bureau indicated that there were about 54,000 cyclos. Of these, approximately 20,000 were operating illegally. “Illegal” in this context means lacking proper documentation and not being officially licensed by the state to operate.
The downfall of cyclos - late 20th century
During the 1970s and 1980s, the cost of a motorcycle remained beyond the reach of the majority. At that time, only the very wealthy owned Vespa or Simson motorcycles. As the economy grew, motorcycles became more common, led by the popularity of the Honda Super Cub.
The number of motorcycles surged dramatically, from 500,000 in 1994 to 14 million by 2004.
Entering the 21st century, those with only bicycles or cyclos were considered part of the working class. Nearly everyone owned a motorcycle or used motorcycle taxi services, which were faster and cheaper than cyclos.
At this point, there was only one niche market left for cyclos: transporting heavy and bulky goods that couldn’t be carried on motorcycles. Cyclos seemed to be on the brink of extinction.
21th century: Cyclos & Vietnam tourism
Fortunately, at the end of 1991, Vietnam officially opened its doors to foreign tourists, leading to a resurgence in the cyclo profession, as Western tourists took a particular liking to riding cyclos, a nearly unique mode of transportation in Vietnam. Cyclo drivers often parked their vehicles in front of major hotels such as the Continental, Caravelle, or Majestic, or along streets popular with tourists like Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi, and Pham Ngu Lao.
Many cyclo drivers at that time were well-educated individuals who had fallen on hard times, fluent in English and French, enabling them to communicate with tourists. For the ordinary workers who did not speak foreign languages, a basic understanding of the desired destinations of their passengers allowed them to negotiate prices using body language.
Today, tourism stands as the primary, if not sole, source of income for cyclo drivers.
The slow pace of cyclo rides is particularly appealing to foreign tourists, as it allows them to fully enjoy the serene views of the scenery, especially in bustling cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, where the streets are among the most crowded.
It’s estimated that fewer than 300 cyclos are still in operation in downtown Saigon, with even fewer in other cities.
As Vietnam’s economy flourishes, workers now have more job options than ever before, making cyclo driving a less appealing profession. This job involves working under the hottest hours of the day for an unstable income, dependent on the number of tourists encountered. Simply put, driving a cyclo is no longer an attractive career choice.
The difficulty in making a living from driving cyclo sometimes pushes freelance drivers into bad behaviors, such as committing cyclo scams. These actions have been warned by the Tourism Department for many years.
Nowadays, cyclos are almost exclusively found at tourist spots such as the ancient capital of Hue or the Old Quarter in Hanoi. The rise of motorcycles marked the beginning of the end for the cyclo. With the advent of cars, there seems to be no room left on the roads for cyclos anymore.
Cyclos have become relics of historical milestones, existing to enrich the memories of international tourists visiting Vietnam. Yet, their image will forever be captured in nostalgic and artistic photographs, like those of young women in traditional ao dai holding lotus bouquets while sitting in a cyclo, deeply etched in Vietnamese & Vietnam travelers’ minds. That is one of the reasons why you should do cyclo tours in Vietnam at least once, before it disappears in the future.
Keep in mind to pick the best Saigon Cyclo Tour, or Hanoi ones to maximize your experience.
Saigon Cyclo Tour: Journeys to Saigon Heritage
Ho Chi Minh City
Service: Tours, transfers, activities, visa, hotels,…
Locations available: HCMC, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat,…
info@antoursvietnam.com
+84 37 4463 732 (Henry) (Whatsapp/ Zalo available) +84 70 6666 520 (Vincent) (Whatsapp/ Zalo available)
