Chukudu

Last updated
Young man pushing a chukudu in North Kivu. 26 mars 2015. Alentours de Nyanzale, Nord Kivu, RD Congo - Un jeune homme suit paisiblement un convoi de la MONUSCO avec son velo en bois, communement appele <<Tshukudu>> (16820198707).jpg
Young man pushing a chukudu in North Kivu.
Transporting bananas by and riding a chukudu in North Kivu. Chukudu in North Kivu.jpg
Transporting bananas by and riding a chukudu in North Kivu.
Transporting fresh produce at a military checkpoint in Goma. Tshukudu in Goma.jpg
Transporting fresh produce at a military checkpoint in Goma.

The chukudu (or chikudu, chokoudou, tshukudu) [1] is a two-wheeled handmade vehicle used in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is made of wood, and is used for transporting cargo.

Contents

The chukudu generally has an angular frame, two small wheels (often of wood, sometimes wrapped with rubber), handlebars, and a pad for the operator to place their knee on while propelling the vehicle with their leg. [2] On a descent, the rider stands on the deck like a kick scooter. On flat ground, the rider can put one knee on the deck and push the ground by the other foot like a knee scooter.

Rubber mud flaps and shock absorber springs may be added. [3] [4]

History

Chukudus first appeared in the 1970s in North Kivu, during the difficult economic times under Mobutu Sese Seko. [3] [5] [6]

In 2008, chikudus were selling for US$100 with a cost of materials of nearly US$60. [7] Similarly, in 2014 they cost $50 to $100 and were used to earn up to $10 per day, in an area where most people live on less than $2 per day. [1] A 2014 article estimated a cost of about US$150, which a driver could pay off in about six months, earning $10–20 per day. [8]

Construction

In Goma, where chukudus form the "backbone of the local transportation system", chukudus are made of hard mumba wood and eucalyptus wood, with scrap tires for wheel treads. [9] [10] These chukudus take one to three days to build, and last two to three years. The most commonly used size is about six and a half feet long, and carries a load of 1,000 pounds (450 kg). However, "the largest chukudus can carry up to 800 kilograms (1,800 lb)." [9] Some chukudus are equipped with suspension to the front wheel, either in the form of a metal spring or of tensioned rubber bands.

A small chukudu can be built in about three hours, using dimensional lumber and materials available in a hardware store. [11]

The chukudu is customizable to carry different types of cargo. To haul firewood some chukudus have a hole drilled in the middle of the sitting deck, and the operator can insert a stick to hold firewood in place. Others have a large basket to carry various loads. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

Boardsports are active outdoor sports that are played with some sort of board as the primary equipment. These sports take place on a variety of terrains, from paved flat-ground and snow-covered hills to water and air. Most boardsports are considered action sports or extreme sports, and thus often appeal to youth. Some board sports were marginalized in the past. However, many board sports are gaining mainstream recognition, and with this recognition, they have enjoyed wider broadcast, sponsorship and inclusion in institutional sporting events, including the Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tire</span> Ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheels rim

A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are pneumatically inflated structures, providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a contact patch, designed to match the vehicle's weight and the bearing on the surface that it rolls over by exerting a pressure that will avoid deforming the surface.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cargo bike</span> Human powered vehicle to carry goods

There have been many human powered vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting loads since their earliest appearance in the 20th century. They are referred to variously depending on the number of wheels — typically two, three, or four — and by their specific use. Adjectives used to describe the tasks to which the bicycles, dicycles, tricycles, or quadracycles are put include cargo cycles, freight cycles, box cycles, carrier cycles, and so on. Sometimes they are also called cycletrucks, which uses a sense of the word 'truck' predating the automobile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mushing</span> Sport or dog powered transport method

Mushing is a sport or transport method powered by dogs. It includes carting, pulka, dog scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled, most commonly a specialized type of dog sled on snow, or a rig on dry land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trailer (vehicle)</span> Towed cargo vehicle

A trailer is an unpowered vehicle towed by a powered vehicle. It is commonly used for the transport of goods and materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tank car</span> Train car for holding liquids and gases

A tank car or tanker is a type of railroad car or rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling resistance</span> Force resisting the motion when a body rolls on a surface

Rolling resistance, sometimes called rolling friction or rolling drag, is the force resisting the motion when a body rolls on a surface. It is mainly caused by non-elastic effects; that is, not all the energy needed for deformation of the wheel, roadbed, etc., is recovered when the pressure is removed. Two forms of this are hysteresis losses, and permanent (plastic) deformation of the object or the surface. Note that the slippage between the wheel and the surface also results in energy dissipation. Although some researchers have included this term in rolling resistance, some suggest that this dissipation term should be treated separately from rolling resistance because it is due to the applied torque to the wheel and the resultant slip between the wheel and ground, which is called slip loss or slip resistance. In addition, only the so-called slip resistance involves friction, therefore the name "rolling friction" is to an extent a misnomer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric bicycle</span> Bicycle with an integrated electric motor

An electric bicycle is a motorized bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fall into two broad categories: bikes that assist the rider's pedal-power and bikes that add a throttle, integrating moped-style functionality. Both retain the ability to be pedaled by the rider and are therefore not electric motorcycles. E-bikes use rechargeable batteries and typically are motor-powered up to 25 to 32 km/h. High-powered varieties can often travel more than 45 km/h (28 mph).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kick scooter</span> Human-powered land vehicle

A kick scooter is a human-powered street vehicle with a handlebar, deck, and wheels propelled by a rider pushing off the ground with their leg. Today the most common scooters are made of aluminum, titanium, and steel. Some kick scooters made for younger children have 3 to 4 wheels and are made of plastic and do not fold. High-performance kickbikes are also made. A company that had once made the Razor Scooters revitalized the design in the mid-nineties and early two-thousands. Three-wheel models where the frame forks into two decks are known as Y scooters or trikkes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kickbike</span> Type of scooter

A kickbike is a type of kick scooter and is a human-powered street vehicle with a handlebar, deck, and wheels propelled by a rider pushing off the ground. The kickbike often has a large standard size bicycle front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel, which allows for a much faster ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorized scooter</span> Powered stand-up scooter

A motorized scooter is a stand-up scooter powered by either a small internal combustion engine or electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. Classified as a form of micro-mobility, they are generally designed with a large center deck on which the rider stands. The first motorized scooter was manufactured by Autoped in 1915.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-trailer</span> Trailer vehicle without a front axle

A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. The combination of a semi-trailer and a tractor truck is called a semi-trailer truck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobility aid</span>

A mobility aid is a device that helps individuals with mobility impairments to walk or improve their overall mobility.

Bosco Ntaganda is a convicted war criminal and the former military chief of staff of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), an armed militia group operating in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is a former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric skateboard</span> Type of skateboard powered by an electric motor

An electric skateboard is a personal transporter based on a skateboard. The speed is usually controlled by a wireless hand-held throttle remote, or rider body weight-shifting between front of the board for forward motion and rear for braking. As for the direction of travel to the right or left, it is adjusted by tilting the board to one side or the other. The classification of electric skateboards and legality of their use on roads or pavements varies between countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M23 rebellion</span> 2012–2013, 2020–present conflict in the DRC

The M23 rebellion was an armed conflict in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), that occurred between the March 23 Movement and government forces between 4 April 2012 and 7 November 2013. It ended when a peace agreement was made among eleven African nations, and the M23 troops surrendered in Uganda. The rebellion was part of continued fighting in the region after the formal end of the Second Congo War in 2003. The conflict reignited in late 2021 after rebel "general" Sultani Makenga and 100 rebel fighters attacked the border town of Bunagana but failed. A few months later, with a much larger force, the rebels of the M23 movement renewed their attack and captured Bunagana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardboard bicycle</span> Bicycles created from cardboard

A cardboard bicycle is a bicycle composed mostly of cardboard. Only prototypes have been made as of 2012. Reported benefits include low cost, and construction from recyclable and renewable materials. The low cost is also expected to act as a theft deterrent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle poverty reduction</span>

Bicycle poverty reduction is the concept that access to bicycles and the transportation infrastructure to support them can dramatically reduce poverty. This has been demonstrated in various pilot projects in South Asia and Africa. Experiments done in Africa and Sri Lanka on hundreds of households have shown that a bicycle can increase the income of a poor family by as much as 35%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoot Networks</span>

Scoot Networks, also known as just Scoot or Scoot Rides, is an American company which provides public electric scooter and electric bicycle sharing systems. The company is based in San Francisco, California.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tshukudu, the All-Purpose Transport Scooter is Congo's Lifeline". NDTV. July 3, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  2. Dixon, Robyn (January 21, 2013). "Congo's chairmen of the boards". Los Angeles Times . Goma. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Chukudus – A no nonsense local transporter that changes lives of Congo's poor". TransportGooru. February 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
  4. Moore, Jina. "Scooter Country". Makeshift. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. Husarska, Anna (March 29, 2009). "The Chukudu Is a Small Ride That's a Big Wheel in Congo". The Washington Post .
  6. McCrummen, Stephanie (February 11, 2010). "In eastern Congo, handmade chukudu scooters rule the road". The Washington Post.
  7. Halperin, Alex; Moore, Jina (August 29, 2008). "Wood, wheels, workhorse: the chikudu story". The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved November 21, 2015.
  8. Dijkstra, Andrea (October 2, 2014). "Les chukudus, force motrice du commerce à Goma" [The Chukudus, the driving force of commerce in Goma]. BlueBiz (in French). Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Sebambo, Khumo (September 22, 2015). "This Congolese wooden bicycle-cum-scooter carries hundreds of kilograms". Design Indaba. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  10. Uwera, Ley (September 18, 2016). "Handmade Wooden Vehicle, the Pride of DRC, Keeps Country Running". Global Press Journal. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  11. Bradbury, Doug (July 28, 2015). "Build a Wooden Scooter That Can Haul Hundreds of Pounds". Make: DIY Projects and Ideas for Makers. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  12. Sebambo, Kuhmo (September 22, 2015). "This Congolese wooden bicycle-cum-scooter carries hundreds of kilograms". designindaba.com. Retrieved 19 August 2019.