Penang trishaw: long wait for customers

It has been said that a holiday in Penang would be incomplete without an old fashion ride in Penang trishaw. The beca, as locals call the Penang trishaw, allows visitors to explore parts of the island at a leisurely pace and in an eco-friendly fashion.

But all is not well in the beca sector. A chat with beca riders revealed that the current economic recession is affecting business. Fewer visitors to the island are taking the vehicle to see the sights. Time was when hordes of tourists from all over the world particularly Taiwan, Japan and Europe would go for a drive.

Beca riders made between RM30 and RM40 daily before the current downturn. They consider themselves fortunate if they took home between RM10 and RM30 today. For many riders this is their only source of income and they are saddened by the situation now.

These days beca riders have plenty of free time.

Plastic flowers such as this one add colour to the beca.

Comments

justmytwocents said…

It is really sad that these beca riders, at their ripe old age, have no other avenue to turn to but to rely on what's been feeding their families for decades. I don't think they can try other jobs because their area of specialization has become etched into their lives. Plus, they would not still be working if their children can support them.

20 June 2010 at 13:54

FAEZAH ISMAIL said…

Thank you. I totally agree with you.

23 June 2010 at 10:40

AthirahYusuh said…

Hi, may I know which street in Penang I could find these beca riders? I'm organizing a trip for 40 students and am planning to include a beca ride.

Regards,
Athirah.

15 June 2011 at 21:26

FAEZAH ISMAIL said…

Hi, I am sorry for this delay. I have been away. Thanks for dropping by here. You can find many beca riders parked near Cititel Hotel which is located within Upper Penang Road. Good luck!

21 June 2011 at 01:11

Why Shamsul Amri dislikes Facebook

Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin People who do not use Facebook fall into three broad categories. The first group is completely indifferent to it, the second finds it mildly irritating and the third dislikes it intensely. Malaysia's prominent sociologist Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin is of the last type. I made the mistake of asking Shamsul, who is director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, if he was on Facebook, the social network which was hatched up in the dormitories of Harvard six years ago. "I have a face and I keep thousands of books. Why do I need Facebook?" How do you react to that reply? I didn't. I meekly invited him to elaborate on his reasons. "Facebook will take away my soul and I won't allow that to happen because I am a believer," says Shamsul fiercely, who launched into a tirade of accusations against Facebook. Ninety per cent of the things you read on Facebook are either p...

Dealing with death of a loved one

Today marks the end of Rabiaa's mourning period. She had completed four months and 10 days or 130 days of grieving, the stipulated period for expressing sorrow for Muslim widows. The death of her husband on Dec 30, 2020 was expected but it still came as a huge shock to her. It was too sudden, she felt. Yet observers would not agree. Her husband became bedridden in mid-November after a collision between his big bike and a car which had come from the opposite direction after taking an illegal turn. In addition to being bedridden, Anwar, lost his voice which was the direct result of the brain injury he had suffered after the accident. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. How does Rabiaa feel now? The pain is bearable but the memories remain as vivid as ever. She is still unwilling to clear up all of her husband's things and some items remain in their original positions as before he became bound to the bed. His belongings connect Rabiaa to Anwar and sh...

Next stop, Sungkai

The locomotive joins the failed train A routine trip to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a medical check up turned out to be a nightmare for Rabiaa Dani and her husband. Their ticket was for a day train ride to KL Sentral , leaving Ipoh railway station at 8.20am, and returning to Ipoh at night. The couple arrived safely at KL Sentral Station and proceeded to the hospital immediately. Everything went well at the hospital. They even managed to sneak a shopping trip to KLCC for a quick look see before returning to KL Sentral for their 7.40pm train back to Ipoh. The train (9032), like clockwork, departed at the scheduled time. Both Rabiaa and her husband fell asleep about ten minutes after the train had left KL Sentral station. They woke up shortly before hearing the sound of a heavy object hitting something; the train came to a halt soon after. Replacement train at Sungkai station Their nighmare had begun. Rabiaa and her husband later learned that the train had hit a pig...

a fleeting stay ...

Search This Blog