From public transport to tourist attraction
On the Portuguese island of Madeira, visitors can travel downhill in a basket sledge. The vehicle is made by hand from wicker and wood. It has no wheels, motor or steering wheel. Instead, it slides along the road on two wooden runners.
The sledges were first used in the 19th century. People who lived in Monte, about 500 metres above Funchal, needed a quicker way to get down to the city. Today, tourists use the same kind of transport. Two drivers, called carreiros, push and guide each sledge. Their boots have thick rubber soles, which work as brakes.
The route from Monte to Livramento is about two kilometres long and usually takes around ten minutes. Passengers get wide views over Funchal and the Atlantic – while travelling on an ordinary road in a basket.