Most of us pass by the Hotel Lisboa, taking the Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge everyday to go to the University of Macau. But, have you taken the time and noticed something very interesting, something that has existed in Macau for a very long time?

No idea what it is? Imagine a vehicle that looks like a bicycle but has one extra wheel at its back, and with a trolley that people can sit on. What is its name?

It is called a "pedicab", or commonly known as a tricycle. A pedicab is a carriage for two passengers, and it is truly one of the many tourist attractions in Macau. Pedicabs first appeared in the 1930's, when Macau was still a fishing village. At that time, cars and other forms of public transportation were not very popular; therefore, pedicabs became the main means of transportation for going around the city, both for passengers and for transporting goods.

In the 80's, Macau saw a rapid economic and population growth. The Macau Government, committed to meeting the citizens' increased demand for public transportation, decided to encourage and improve local bus services.

TCM, Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos de Macau, S.A.R, formerly a ferry company named "Companhia de Transportes de Passageiros Entre Macau e Ilhas" (Macau Island Passenger Transport Company) started its service in 1986. Two years later, another bus company, TRASMAC entered the market.

"I started working as a pedicab driver when I was about 22 years old," said Lee Ka Ho, who is in his late 60's now. Both Lee and his father were pedicab drivers. "We owned six pedicabs at the peak of our business and life was really good," Lee added.

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