BBC journalists, politicians, authors and artists arrived in style at Dartington’s Ways with Words festival courtesy of The Totnes Rickshaw Company.

Martin Bell, the author and one time television reporter-turned-politician, arrived at Totnes Railway station on Friday 11th July to headline the event. There to pick him up from the station was the latest in alternative Totnes’ environmentally friendly transport – a motorized rickshaw powered by locally used cooking oil.

As well as transporting other guest attendees over the duration of the 9-day literary festival, including historian and political campaigner Tariq Ali and Fleet Street legend Katherine Whitehorn, the two rickshaws were also on hand to drive town locals to and from the Dartington Hall estate.

The Totnes Rickshaw Company is the brainchild of Totnes businessman Pete Ryeland, who purchased the two vehicles in India last year. Although the company is currently in the process of obtaining a license from the council to operate a daily service in the town, the Ways with Words service remained free of charge.

Caroline John, festival manager, praised the rickshaw service and suggested that they would like to use the company again at next year’s festival. “We like to support local initiatives. It is an eco-friendly way of transporting our visitors to and from the estate and is fun as well.”