Still Searching for Caroline Lite Island Transport
The hunt for non-car transport continues.
I have never owned a car and hope I never do. But moving to Pohnpei island in January 2019 presented a range of challenges which led me to research non-car solutions while living my best life with no car. One year on, I reflect upon the ups and downs, share my assessment of six non-car options and ponder my next urgent steps. This article is dedicated to Scott Snaden — the only person whose “excuse the mess in my car” (biohazard) made sense: Rest In Party.
It took me three months to remember I owned legs — my average daily steps from January to March 2019 was a pitiful 2307. I’d call a taxi and wait 10-minutes, 20-minutes, sometimes even an hour for them to arrive. In April, I hosted a couchsurfer who made good use of his legs during his stay, reminding me that walking makes sense on this small island. Taxis can find me much easier on the roads than in my driveway. Since April, my daily commute has consisted of walking on the main streets in the direction of work (or home) until someone picks me up — a taxi, a colleague, a total stranger. Some days I walk three minutes before being picked up, sometimes thirty but I consistently arrive at work on time.
This commuting method positively impacted my life. Firstly, sandwiching the working day with movement woke up or flushed out my mind, and served as a daily reminder of my love of walking. I felt proud to encounter pigs, cows, cockerels, and friendly folk along the way — a definite upgrade to the dehumanising sardine-can Tokyo train commutes one year prior. Financially, I don’t think there’s a cheaper way to travel, with $1 taxi rides, free rides with colleagues and others, and of course, no outlay for a personal vehicle. But most importantly, I got to know many colleagues across the different levels and departments of my organisation. These multiple 20-minute meetings were unlikely to have happened otherwise and were time enough to laugh together, learn about each other’s lives and work and strengthen our social relations.
On the downside, this commute sacrificed independence and control. I wanted to lead an exercise class before the working day but could not be sure of arriving on time. I wanted to participate in evening activities but couldn’t arrive at my destination on time or felt unsafe commuting after dark. There were more than two occasions when I feared for my life — the first time, I found myself crying “no, No, NO!” to the driver who stepped on the gas to overtake while from the other direction a car drove at us head on. Though I became more selective about who I got in the car with and better at responding quicker to drivers who made me feel uncomfortable, (“I’m not in a rush”, “Can you slow down please”), endangering my life unnecessarily is not a habit I want.
Not having transportation unnecessarily limits people from living their fullest lives. I benefited from my high school education only because a bus service existed which I could use for free. The education, health, and employment opportunities available to anyone depend heavily upon location and the availability of transport. While I am firstly looking for a solution for myself, I am also seeking broader change, opening up possibilities for affordable alternatives and ideally a shift away from reliance on cars to something healthier for both people and the environment. [Note to Universe — is a cooperatively owned fleet of pedal-powered hybrid vehicles a good idea? Please send sign.] I hold dearly in my heart all those individuals across Micronesia and around the world whose opportunities are limited by lack of transport.
Assessing Non-Car Solutions
Starting from a sustainability perspective, I listed 14 factors within environmental, social, and financial dimensions. With the help of friends and some College of Micronesia-FSM faculty, I selected and evaluated six vehicles. I then provided our assessment to the vehicle manufacturers inviting them to provide feedback or any other information which could change our ratings. Summaries of the six evaluations follow.
We guesstimated that the Rhodes car might last about five years on Pohnpei roads before requiring structural repairs. Maintenance looks problematic since the parts look specialised — delivering anything to Pohnpei is hit-and-miss and things often get lost in shipping. With speeds of 20km/hr and range of 60km, it could be appropriate for most island journeys. Safety poses a concern as the vehicle offers little protection from the rain, dogs, and other dodgy road-users. The environmental impact of the vehicle depends upon your food choices, how much you use the motor, and from what energy source you charge the battery. Socially it scores well offering two people the chance to enjoy traveling and pedalling together with the associated health benefits. It also scores well on the “Hell yeah effect” — it looks pretty damn cool! Ranging from $4,449 with perhaps one or two fitting in a shipping container from Nashville (11727km from Pohnpei), the cost makes this non-competitive compared to a car.
2. Campus vehicle / golf buggy
This was included because it was important to consider options already available on island. We guessed its speed to max out around 35km/hr with a range of less than 100km. Powered by both electricity and gas, its fossil-fuel dependency result in low environmental score and no positive impact on users’ health. On the plus side, we thought it may last six years or more because people on island are already trained in its maintenance. With small size, the cost of shipping is lowered since many could fit in one container. Nevertheless, passenger safety remains top priority and one knock from a bad driver could send you pinging off the road to an untimely death.
3. Podride
The value of customer service cannot be underestimated, especially in Pohnpei. Podride was the only manufacturer to respond to our queries. The cover — which could quickly mould here — is removable and easily replaceable. Under that cover is essentially a bicycle, which means even basic mechanical knowledge should suffice and parts are as readily available as they can be here. The manufacturers state that there are 7 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometre traveled, compared to 140g/km for gas. The 25km/hr speed is limited by legal requirements and your pedalling, not technology. Crucially, the Podride offers protection from the incessant Pohnpei rain and scary dogs. Its small size could be both positive and negative for safety — able to manoeuvre nimbly around obstacles and potholes but also able to be bounced off the road by the macho gas-guzzlers some people like to drive. Still in prototype stage, the cost is unknown though a huge advantage is that 10 could fit in one 20-foot container. The Podride folks are putting all their energy towards releasing their one-seater vehicle with potential for multi-person Podrides in the future.
4. The Beast
This vehicle is listed on Alibaba is an Old School 250w electric tuktuk / taxi Bicycle / Chopper 500w rickshaw / 750w e pedicab / beach cruiser pedal delivery tricycle; I call it The Beast. Looking like Batman’s grandfather’s rickshaw, the Hell yeah effect is the highest of all the vehicles reviewed. With space for a couple of passengers and one rider, the Beast ticks the box for being a social mode of transport, but weighing in at 135kgs, the rider would be obliged to rely heavily on the motor. Against the rain and dogs there is limited protection for passengers and little or none for the rider. Costing $1600, you can probably fit at least a couple of beasts in one container from Shanghai (4680km away). With its bicycle or motorcycle parts, it may not be too difficult to maintain decent functioning. However, the aesthetic wow-factor looks susceptible to rapid moulding and deterioration, much like my initial excitement which plummeted to zero when the Alibaba contact person showed no interest.
5. Denver boy’s homemade pedl_pedicab
This looks like a great option for city-living in non-tropical rainstormy climates . Though I am no mechanic, it doesn’t look too difficult to build your own and maintain it quite affordably. With over 45% obesity rate here, the carriage may have to be adjusted to meet the needs of average Micronesian passengers and the riders’ reliance on motor will correlate to the girth of the passengers. The vehicle could be modified to add protection to rider against rain and dogs but most likely this will add weight. A customised homemade vehicle is surely a strong contender.
This vehicle initially looked interesting but at $8,800 we felt it targeted middle class city folks paying off their conscience. It looks like it would break within 10-minutes on our roads so we assessed no further criteria.
What now?
From the six vehicles assessed, a homemade vehicle or the Podride look to be the most appropriate solutions. Podride’s mission most closely aligns with my values so I contributed $400 to their crowdfunding campaign and asked about the possibility of using their prototype vehicle, contributing to real-world testing and creating video learning tutorials.
Despite some benefits, not having my own means of transport in 2019 endangered my safety and inhibited my life choices too much. Though I sincerely hope to avoid car ownership, I need more control in my life and a solution today. Since a pedal-powered solution does not yet appear available I am now considering other motorised solutions. Next I will share what I have learned with other community members lacking transportation and compare the relative merits of an Indian bajaj to a cheap imported Japanese car.
