ABOUT THE PROJECT

How it began

In March 2020, a campaign called "Food for Ecuador" was conducted in the project area by We Sustainable. While COVID-19 put the whole country in a total lockdown, urgently needed food was distributed. Especially families and people from the low wage sector had difficulties to get and pay for food.

By government decision, public transport for motorized vehicles was banned under the lockdown. At that time the focus was on the target group of Trici drivers who drive with pure muscle power and are not motorized like most Tricis. These exactly 20 persons in Pedro Carbo were the only possibility of locomotion during the lockdown and secondly they are basically low income earners. The so-called "Triciclos" (clean and quiet bike cabs) have a long tradition in Ecuador and contribute to a pleasant cityscape, but they are threatened with extinction, because loud and smoking mototaxis are pushing them off the market.

The first contact with the tricicleros took place with food rations for the tricycle drivers and the idea for supporting motorization was first discussed with the local project partner in April 2020.

Pedal-powered tricis are many times cheaper than motorized ones, but the range and speed significantly reduce the potential income. Thereupon the project idea of Igor Luketina was presented to the Engineers Without Borders Vienna group in May 2020, and the first interested parties formed a team that was eager to work. Regular meetings of the project team followed and first contact to the project partner in Ecuador was established with the strong intention to create a social impact by means of electric drives.