Unregistered rickshaws still pose threat

No one knows exact count, authorities putting responsibility on one other

PESHAWAR: Unregistered rickshaws are still seen on the roads of the city even though it is believed they are used to orchestrate terrorist attacks.

“We have around 13,000 registered rickshaws in Peshawar, but the number of the three-wheelers is much higher,” Regional Transport Authority Secretary Naimatullah told The Express Tribune on Friday.



When asked about whether rickshaws are a threat to law and order, Naimatullah said the issue has been discussed in various meetings and a plan was being made to ban them completely.

He added the transport department was issuing permits free of cost as this would help them determine the exact number of unregistered rickshaws.

“They have planned to allow the issuance of permits to know the exact number of unregistered rickshaws,” he said. “However, only those with original registration documents will be given permits.”

He added, “The power that a transport secretary would have before 1999 to impound a bus or vehicle has been taken away and given to officials in the police and excise departments.”

On the roads

Naimatullah added members of rickshaw unions said there were not more than 22,000 rickshaws in Peshawar, both registered and unregistered.

While the police was of the view that there were around 35,000 rickshaws, the count fluctuates from time to time as there was no valid data, he said. The count also includes rickshaws that were brought from Mansehra, Bannu, DI Khan and other districts of the province and roam without permits.



Moreover, there are also three or four rickshaws that use the same licence number so as to avoid being fined or their vehicle being confiscated. There is also a lack of proper planning on taking action such rickshaw drivers or owners.

“We want [the authorities concerned] to take action against owners and drivers but who will do so,” Peshawar Rickshaw Union President Amanullah said. “The unregistered three-wheelers are a threat but who would counter it?”

He added the relevant authorities were not taking any action but were rather announcing issuance of new permits to unregistered rickshaws.

An official at the transport office said some police officers own rickshaws which is another reason behind the lack of action against the unregistered ones.

“Traffic police hardly fine such vehicles as they favour each other.”

When contacted, Traffic SSP Sadiq Baloch said keeping record of unregistered rickshaws was the job of transport and excise departments. He called the allegations baseless that police was not taking action. He added, they have 700 personnel performing duties on 300 points in the city.

“Regulating traffic and issuance of challans in case of traffic laws violation is what traffic police do and if the transport department want to rid the city of such vehicles it should deploy its staffers on every point, we are ready to cooperate with them,” the SSP said.



Life hazard

According to insiders, rickshaws were used in the Army Public School and Bacha Khan University attack. But since unregistered rickshaws are allowed to travel on the roads, they continue to pose a threat to locals. Rickshaws have also created environmental challenges.

So far, no action has been taken to keep hundreds of unregistered two-stroke and CNG rickshaws off the roads to prevent them from polluting the air and being used in anti-state activities.

“Two-stroke rickshaws are banned as they are a serious threat to the environment,” said Afsar Khan, a climate change expert at Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency. “If they are found on roads action should be taken against their drivers.”

Traffic police, members of rickshaw unions and officials of the transport department blame each other for the present state of affairs.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 6^th, 2016.