India and Netherlands’ Innovation benefits tuktuk drivers

According to Enviu, the Three Wheels United has made it to the top 100 innovative solutions by Sustainia. The company has improved the lives of a million tuktuk drivers through social advancement, financial services, and cleaner technology. It generates a 20 percent raise in the revenue and provides energy-efficient tuktuks to drivers. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"25577","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-2395 ","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"300","height":"225","alt":"tuktuk"}}]] Magda Wojtyra/flickr India has an estimate of 5 million active auto rickshaws drivers today. They work over 12 hours daily and earn 3 dollars. They have no access to financial and social services. Three Wheels United’s initiative was to build a business model that can give financial and social services, other ways of earning revenue, and clean technology for auto-rickshaw engines. This innovation has benefited tuktuk drivers by raising their revenues at around 70 percent. Drivers can also avail of loans and change their engines to eco-friendly ones which can decrease up to 40 percent C02 output. “Three Wheels United is a sure shot successful business model because it has been developed on the principle of co-creation where every stakeholder is involved in its creation. We provide very unique and innovative solutions to tackle a clearly identified social problem with a scalable and disruptive solution We currently have 145 new vehicles on the road and are ready for scale,” Three Wheels United entrepreneur Ramesh Prabhu said. Three Wheels United’s objective is to put 50,000 tuktuks on the road in five years, while improving the lives of 200,000 locals. It has existing plans to expand to other cities in the country and eventually help 1 million tuktuk drivers and their loved ones in the future.