‘Crackdown against Qingqis complies with court orders’

KARACHI:

Karachi traffic police DIG Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh defended the ongoing crackdown against the three-wheeler CNG rickshaws having six or nine seats, describing it as being 'in accordance with the law and in compliance of the Sindh High Court's (SHC) directives issued earlier this month'.

In a report submitted to the SHC in response to a petition filed by the All Karachi CNG Auto Rickshaws Association, the traffic police chief contended the members of the association are operating illegally altered six- and nine-seat CNG rickshaws on city roads.

To support his argument, he referred to rule 2(E) of the Motor Cab Rickshaw of the Motor Vehicle Rules, 1969, which states: "Motor Cab Rickshaw (MCR) means a motor cab, with three wheels, the unladen weight of which does not exceed 900 pounds avoirdupois, constructed, adapted or used to carry not more than two passengers, except the driver."

Shaikh recalled that, initially, these CNG MCRs were produced before the Motor Vehicle Examiner, Karachi, for physical inspection and were verified to be registered as MCRs with the capacity of three seats, including the driver. However, after physical inspection, the owners of these MCRs illegally altered them from three-seat to six- and/or nine-seat vehicles.

"These illegally altered CNG six- and nine-seat rickshaws are plying in contravention of sections 23, 29 [and] 44 and rule 197 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1965/1969," stated the traffic DIG in the report.

He said the SHC, while hearing identical petitions, had already directed the petitioner to submit an undertaking on its letterhead that all six- and nine-seat rickshaw drivers have valid licences and that they possess proper route permits and registration. "But [this] has not been submitted to the court as yet," he added. A division bench, headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, could not hear three identical petitions due to 'paucity of time' on Friday. The matter was adjourned until September 1.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2015.