Portsmouth City Council to use tuk-tuks to deliver books to readers across the city

Funded through a £100,000 Arts Council England grant, the two electric rickshaws will be used to transport books to areas without a library while also promoting library and council services.

The machines are being refurbished by Devon-based Tukxi, a specialist in the conversion of Piaggio Ape vehicles, and are expected to arrive in Portsmouth in time for the launch of the service in the summer.

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The grant won by Portsmouth City Council has to be used to develop community outreach services, support city regeneration and promoted learning across the city.

On top of the tuk-tuks, the money will also be used to buy bookable ‘office pods’ at the Central and North End libraries to support start-up businesses and people needing quiet working spaces.

Dave Percival, the council’s libraries and archive services manager, said he hoped these initiatives would boost coverage and the value of libraries.

‘The tuk-tuks will get lots of attention and help us promote our services in areas of the city where there aren’t libraries,’ he said. ‘They will also be used to deliver books to vulnerable residents, helping to extend our books-at-home service for people that find it difficult to get out.

‘The office pods will provide a quiet working space for residents, whether that’s people using it to study, work on job applications, or work flexibly.’

‘All of this helps support our city vision for 2040, which includes aspirations for a city rich in culture and creativity, a city with a thriving economy, a city of lifelong learning and a green city.’

The council has previously used Arts Council England funding for its The Detective initiative that makes use of the city’s Conan Doyle Collection to support people with learning difficulties, disabilities, or those who come from a background of mental health or substance misuse to gain new skills and work experience.

Best known for the Sherlock Holmes stories, Conan Doyle actually wrote the first two books – A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four – while living in Elm Grove, Southsea, during the 1880s.