They once seemed more at home on the busy streets of Asia like Delhi, Calcutta and Bangkok but cycle powered rickshaws   can now be seen taking people across town in many European cities. Many people believe that rickshaws are a good way of experiencing a city close-up, while also cutting down on traffic jams and pollution. In Berlin, one of the first cities to introduce this new model of transport, more than 200 bike-taxis go along at 15km per hour, past many tourist attractions and city parks. "It is completely environmentally friendly; we have new models with an engine to help the driver up the hills but they use renewable energy." said a spokesman for VELOTAXI, the leading rickshaw company which has carried a quarter of a million people this year. While the city still has 7,000 motor-taxis, rickshaw company officials say their taxis' green ideas, speed and safety make them more than just a tourist attraction. While now increasingly out of fashion in Delhi, Berlin people have eagerly accepted the new fleet since their launch in 1997. "It's better than a taxi, better than a bus, better than the train," said ULF Lehman, 36, as he leapt out of a rickshaw near the world famous Brandenburg gate. "It feels so free." " _ ," said another traveler. In Amsterdam, driver Peter Jancso said people like to be driven around in his bright yellow rickshaw and pretend to be a queen in a golden carriage. "I like my passengers to feel important," he said as he dropped off another passenger. Another visitor noted how cheap it was compared with a normal taxi. Although increasingly popular in Europe, it is the opposite in India, where hand-pulled rickshaws are considered inhuman and a symbol of India's backward past. Nearly 500 bike-rickshaws are running in London and are not required to pay the city's road tax but things may change as other taxi drivers complain of unfair treatment. Where are rickshaws becoming more popular?
Delhi, Berlin, Paris. Berlin, Amsterdam, London. Athens, London, Berlin. Amsterdam, Bangkok, Delhi.