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‘Wicked Green Tourz’: See Boston by tuk-tuk?

Four-year-old David Joseph Magen climbs in a tuk-tuk on display at City Hall Plaza. Magen’s parents hope to start a tour business using such vehicles.David L Ryan/Globe Staff/file

Asaf Magen is an entrepreneur with a dream. He wants to squire tourists around Boston in quiet, non-polluting electric vehicles. On a recent day, he and his wife had their nifty little vehicle, called a tuk-tuk, which he describes as “a Vespa meeting a VW bus,” on display at City Hall Plaza.

Those smaller, quiet, electric vehicles have become increasingly popular in European city tours, and Magen believes that his “Wicked Green Tourz” could catch on with tourists here. He wants to run a fleet of 20 around the city. He says the little six-seater will allow a tour operator to go on some winding or narrow city streets that just aren’t a good fit for trolley or duck-boat tours. The little vehicle zips right along. It’s open and airy, though with clear plastic curtains that can be rolled down on wet or chilly days.

Still, Magen and his wife, Yael, have faced some hurdles. First, they had to get the state to register their vehicle for the road. That meant modifying it to meet the Commonwealth’s standards. The next challenge is winning a license from City Hall. City transportation commissioner Tom Tinlin has told the Magens that the city needs to examine legal issues, review their proposed routes, and consider other aspects of their plan, such as where the tours would load and unload.

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They’re reasonable questions, but the city should do all it can to make sure that innovative proposals don’t get ensnared in red tape. Thankfully, Magen has one ally in City Councilor Stephen Murphy. If the Transportation Department’s concerns can be addressed, Wicked Green Tourz and its fleet of cute, quiet electric vehicles could provide a new and exciting vantage point from which to view Boston’s many attractions.