Melksham man takes on tuk-tuk challenge across India

A Melksham man had the ‘experience of a lifetime’ recently when he drove a tuk-tuk across India in a gruelling long-distance challenge.

Connor Rabey took part in the challenge with his best friend Joe as part of the Rickshaw Run, organised by The Adventurists. The pair drove a seven-horsepower Bajaj tuk-tuk across India from south to north, completing the journey in 13 days and seven hours.

They set off from Fort Kochi and finished in Jaisalmer, around 2,200 miles away, sometimes driving for up to 12 hours a day with a maximum of six hours’ sleep.

Connor said the challenge saw them encounter a range of ‘unforgettable’ experiences, including their tuk-tuk failing on day four, monkeys stealing their food and even being ‘guests of honour’ when they stumbled into a football tournament.

“To paint a picture: it’s the most unstable vehicle I’ve ever driven, with a top speed of about 45 mph, which feels terrifyingly fast on three eight-inch wheels,” said Connor. “There were no doors, no airbags and absolutely zero safety features. It has gears like a motorbike and is incredibly slow, loud and uncomfortable.”

“There were 49 teams setting off at the same time, all driving our own little tin cans. We had the opportunity to modify these before we set off too. So we added some wheel trims, some air horns and a grass turf dashboard with an incense holder.

“We figured if we averaged 30mph, we’d drive for about 5.5 hours a day. That was incredibly unrealistic. Factor in getting lost, sightseeing, breakdowns and the chaotically busy roads.”

When the tuk-tuk failed on day four, Connor said they had to push the vehicle around ‘chaotic’ Indian roundabouts at times.

“Percy also lacked power for hills, so sometimes the passenger had to jump out and run up the hill alongside the tuk-tuk and often in front of it because we could run uphill faster than it could drive.

“We also had to dodge the local buses. They are the scariest things on the road. I would 100% do it again and I wouldn’t change a single thing. As tired and uncomfortable as we were, the second we set off into the sunrise each morning, we forgot all about the lack of sleep. The locals were also absolutely incredible. India is the kindest country I have ever visited.”

As part of the challenge, the pair also raised £912 for climate action charity Cool Earth.