a three-wheeled vehicle that would definitely not comply with safety standards in every part of the world, but it's great for navigating the tight and busy streets of Chennai

a wooden seat balanced on two wheels and pulled by the strength of one man

A rickshaw is a three-wheeled taxi, very widely used in Pune to go from one place to another. Rickshaws are equipped with meters, a bit like taxis in the West. You need a conversion card to translate the amount indicated on the meter into the price of your trip (unless you decide to trust the driver - a risky choice at times).

Rickshaws (or rickshas) are a mode of human-powered transport: a runner draws a two-wheeled cart which seats one or two persons. The word rickshaw came from Asia where they were mainly used as means of transportation for the social elite. However, in more recent times rickshaws have been outlawed in many countries in Asia due to numerous accidents.