This is despite the fact that the Federal Road Safety Office has issued compliance license plates for tuk-tuks.
Three tuk-tuks are now parked in her backyard. She drove one of them to work, sometimes parked on Kent Street, ignoring the gazes of the men. It is legal to drive them in NSW, but you cannot use them for business.
“I saw a tuk-tuk and thought, ‘Aha, this is what Sydney needs, a shot in the arm’,” she told the Herald yesterday. “I got my qualification from the Ministry of Transport to run a tour company and hit full steam ahead.
“I’m a white-haired lady from the western suburbs who saw a great opportunity and decided to give it a go. There’s a difference between a big bus and a charming little tuk-tuk taking you where you want to go of.”
She now works full-time to pay off the company’s accumulated debt.
The Ombudsman’s initial report castigated the Transport Department’s handling of the matter.
Marlenea Sha-Kes on her way to Guildford.Credit:steve crystal
It said: “I also found that the Department’s failure to provide adequate justification to support its decision … was unreasonable, unjust, oppressive or unjustly discriminatory.”
The report recommends that “Given the high cost of litigation, the Department of Transportation immediately negotiates compensation…”.
The complainant intends to claim about $2 million in compensation.
Mr Baird’s office would not comment directly on the report’s findings, but a spokesman said the minister had not even seen a draft of the report and “to the best of our knowledge it has been given to the department”.
As Australia’s only tuk-tuk importer and manufacturer, Mr Clouten’s business is largely dependent on the approval of people like Ms Sha-Kes from the relevant authorities.
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Mr Clouten imported components from Thailand and assembled them here with some Australian components to meet Australian standards.
He said he could create jobs for 1,000 people using tuk-tuks.
The Herald, 2 September 1993: Tuk-Tuk Hire has recently started a soon to be national car hire operation in Manly.
As long as you hold a standard Australian or international driver’s licence, you can travel great distances in a “100% naturally air-conditioned” vehicle for $15 an hour.
