We tuk Lincoln’s Tuk Tuk for a zoom zoom

Lincoln’s new Tuk Tuk tour will transport passengers up and down Steep Hill, to the train station and to the Brayford from April, and The Lincolnite were among the first to take it for a spin.

Holla Tuk Tuk is a new company offering pre-bookable rides and, whilst the vehicles will initially run on fuel, director Christine Kimbrell hopes to convert to electric power in the near future.

The first Tuk Tuk, which will launch on Thursday, April 2, will have eight pick up and drop off points as follows:

• Castle Square
• The Curiosity Shop
• Lincoln Train Station
• Brayford Wharf
• Lincoln Hotel
• Castle Hotel
• Tower Hotel
• White Hart Hotel

It will run between 10am and 10pm Thursday to Sunday. It will travel between these points only at a cost of £6 per journey and the Tuk Tuk can take up to two passengers at one time.

The Lincolnite reporter Joseph Verney was among the first passengers to try the new Tuk Tuk. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The route will go from Steep Hill down Drury Lane, Spring Hill and St Michael’s Square and then come back up again, depending on where it is booked from.

An app called ‘Holla Tuk Tuk’ is currently being developed, and should be up and running in around two weeks, which customers will be able to book their journeys from.

For the first four days of trading people who can prove they have the app can ride for free. Rides can also be booked by phone, with a phone number and more details to be confirmed here nearer to the launch date.

Anyone interested in becoming a driver is invited to send an email to [email protected].

Inside the Tuk Tuk. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Christine, 44, invested £12,000 to start up the business and believes each Tuk Tuk should make around £45,000 per year.

Initially she will start with one Tuk Tuk, which will create four new jobs, and she hopes to increase to having 3-5 of the vehicles within a year.

It will initially operate seasonally between April and October half-term, but Christine is considering possible plans for being involved in the Christmas Market in the future.

Holla Tuk Tuk will initially operate seasonally between April and October half-term. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

She told The Lincolnite: “It uses very little fuel and it’s quick and fun. It can be hard to book taxis on a Friday and Saturday night, so this is adding to the options, and will primarily help get people up and down the hill.”

Christine, who has lived in Lincoln since her dad came to work as an engineer in the Red Arrows in the 1990s, also owns a luxury travel company called SeyExclusive. She said she operates SeyExclusive from her home in Lincoln and it has a turnover of nearly £3 million.