Going back in time with Xe Lam
Monday, 17/09/2012 09:45 (GMT+7)
Xe Lam (tuk-tuk or three-wheel taxi) was one of the main private rental transport services in cities of Vietnam (before 1975). The tuk tuk, which has four to six seats, is a popular means of transport in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries. These are some photos of Xe Lam in the prosperous years (before 1975) in Vietnam.
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Xe Lam originally derived from Italy, being created by Lambretta.
This model saw strong growth in many countries, especially in Europe in 1950s.
Then India bought back this model and developed it there. |
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To meet the transport needs of those who could not buy cars, Xe Lam was born
and immediately became a popular vehicle in many cities around the world. In photo,
a Xe Lam station in Sai Gon before 1975 |
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It was true that Xe Lam solved the transport needs of the majority of people,
especially those without a car |
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Xe Lam are capable of carrying nearly 10 passengers or a load of goods |
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Due to its mobility, and ability to transport items, especially when city traffic
was not too crowded, Xe Lam had become a “multi-purpose” vehicle,
a favourite for many people |
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After the war, because of the economic integration and development of the world
and Vietnam, more modern vehicles appeared, and Xe Lam were considered
outdated and quickly disappeared from the street. To serve the needs of travelling,
besides buses, light trucks were put to use. |
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Nowadays, Xe Lam are rare. However, in some areas such as garbage dumps
or markets, you can still see Xe Lam with the familiar sound "tuk tuk tuk tuk" |
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Although officially a part of the past, many people are still passionate about Xe Lam,
especially classic vehicle fans and photographers |
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There are still some Xe Lam collectors, sometime they take them out to the streets
and draw a lot of attention |