The terrible threes: Motorcycle rickshaws torment Faisalabad’s traffic

Last year alone, over 4,000 accidents were caused by ‘Qinqis’

FAISALABAD: For the citizens of Faisalabad, the more than 70,000 motorcycle rickshaws — or ‘Qingqis’ as they are commonly known — that roam the city have become a source of unending nuisance, not to mention traffic accidents. The vehicle was introduced during the 1990s when increasing industrial development in the country made horse and donkey driven public transport obsolete. But while initially confined to city outskirts, the suspension of CNG for domestic use and lack of public transportation created a niche that Qingqi drivers were most eager to fill. A government ban on the use of donkey carts to transport various goods also allowed provided further opportunity for motorcycle rickshaw proliferation. The end result was that far from alleviating citizens’ transport woes, the vehicles and their drivers became a problem themselves, disrupting traffic flow in the city and increasing the number of road accidents. Last year alone, over 4,000 accidents were caused by motorcycle rickshaws with another 900 this year so far, according to statistics compiled by Rescue 1122 services. These accidents have claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands more injured and often, perma



nently disabled. A major reason for such a high number of accidents is that as many as 90% of Qingqi drivers drive without a license. A staggering 70% of Qingqi drivers do so on account of being underage. While there are no figures for the number of accidents caused by underage motorcycle rickshaw drivers, the vehicle is involved in at least 10 accidents in the city every day. Petty accidents also result in brawls, disturbing peace in the city and disrupting citizens’ lives. Earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the Punjab government to enact legislation to ensure motorcycle rickshaw safety. The demands of the apex court included restriction on the number of passengers carried, designation of routes and routine vehicle fitness checks. The provincial authorities, however, have not made much progress on that front. “We are discussing the par- ticulars of such legisla- tion,” said Punjab Excise and Taxation Minister H a f i z Mumtaz Ahmed. “But when- ever we take action, motorcycle rickshaw drivers take to the streets and block traffic.” “Traffic police tried to impose 11,000 challans this year,” said Faisalabad Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Ali Raza. “But traffic officials were instructed to drop charges on humanitarian grounds.” According to Mian Ejaz, the central secretary for Pasban,

the only registered taxi rickshaw union in Punjab, motorcycle rickshaws were originally introduced by then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “If such rickshaws had any technical glitches, they should have been addressed by the then serving government. The administration should have administered proper inspection of the vehicles before allowing them on the roads for the passengers.” For many years, Mian Ejaz has been holding meetings with officials in district administration and traffic police as well as organising workshops for the drivers. He also stresses on action against rickshaw drivers indulging in traffic violations but the administration seems to exercise a non-serious attitude in this regard. Consequently, faulty vehicles have been causing an increase in the number of road accidents When contacted, Faisalabad Deputy Commissioner Saifullah Dogar said he did not have any information pertaining to Supreme Court orders against motorcycle rickshaws and their statistics, including increasing number of traffic accidents and unregistered vehicles.  Dogar has expressed concern over the statistics provided by Rescue 1122 and has assured that steps will be taken to tackle the issue. Citizens, however, complain that motorcycle rickshaws are unfit for public transport and urged the government to take steps to rectify the situation.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2019.