September 18, 2015

We Talk Tuk Tuk

Much of the thrill of visiting Asian cities such as Bangkok comes from sampling their bustling street-life aboard the ubiquitous tuk tuk taxis, which boldly go where other more unwieldy vehicles grind to a standstill.  Ever wondered what it might be like to sample Dublin's streets broad and narrow from the seat of this iconic transport?

Transported From Bangkok To Dublin

With a background in environment and heritage, archaeologist-turned-entrepreneur Thomas Carolan set up Tuk Tuk Dublin, this week's Kickstart Your Business feature, so that native Dubliners and visitors alike could explore the city's great and small outdoors from the best seats in town. Already, the distinctive electric vehicles are becoming a regular feature of the sight-seeing routes of old Dublin town.

Tech Tech Opportunities?


Both Gerard and George admired the boldness of Tuk Tuk Dublin's foray onto the streets, but suggested that Thomas needs to identify ways to keep the vehicle's gainfully deployed both in high and low tourist seasons.

In particular, Gerard suggested that many of Tuk Tuk Dublin's target customers are likely to be found working for many of the tech companies (both global and start-up) that have a need to ferry colleagues and clients throughout the city. Imagine for a moment how much colour and buzz a Dublin Tuk Tuk might add to the delegate experience at an event such as Dublin's now-iconic Web Summit.

Your Take On Tuk Tuk Dublin?

What else can Thomas and his team do to get the wheels of Tuk Tuk Dublin ticking over even faster? Listen back to Thomas on Kickstart Your Business and let us know what you suggest.

We'd love to hear from you.

Kickstart Your Business is broadcast live on The Right Hook on Newstalk 106 in Ireland every Thursday at 6.15pm, and is available to listen to on Playback immediately afterwards.

1 comment:

Thomas Carolan Tuk Tuk Dublin said...

Gerard,

I really enjoyed being on Kick Start your business and it was great to exchange views with George!!

Yes, I think it's really important to try and insulate yourself from the high and low season, particularly businesses targeting tourists. By broadening your options, you can keep business more consistent throughout the year.

Taking that on board we're looking to continue to build on the advertising and events work completed to date - Bloom, InspireFest, work with Dublin City Council (DCC). Techies are a great fit - for events or even entertaining visitors that visit tech companies. As mentioned this is a really fun way to see Dublin, so we're not limited to visitors or techies...people experience holiday nostalgia when they get in a Tuk Tuk. So even if it's a quick trip or an hour - it's like a mini holiday in your own city!! Delighted to take your advice and hopefully its onwards and upwards!

Thomas