Transport Department: Ban on two-stroke rickshaws

The transport department said that the ban has been placed to reduce noise pollution and curb smoke emission.

KARACHI: A ban on the registration of two-stroke rickshaws across Sindh has been imposed and will be effective after June 30. The transport department made the announcement on Friday when it explained that the ban has been placed to reduce noise pollution and curb smoke emission. The operation of Daewoo CNG buses from Karachi to Hyderabad has already started and will soon expand to cover other inter-city and inter-province routes. No public service vehicles, which are over five-years-old, will be registered in Sindh, except for reconditioned imported vehicles, including buses, mini buses and coaches. The permission to operate four stroke CNG auto-rickshaws has been granted to more than 20 companies in the province and approximately 1,000 CNG rickshaws are already out on the roads in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2011.