Traffic woes: Police to launch campaign against unregistered rickshaws

Heavy fines to be imposed on violators.

PESHAWAR: In a bid to control traffic congestion in the capital city of Peshawar, the police have registered about 4,500 rickshaws without road permits according to a plan to introduce a colour-coded shift system for tri-wheelers.

Although it was met with resistance, the plan is being implemented at a satisfactory pace, said Senior Superintendent of Police Traffic Peshawar Najeebur Rehman while talking to The Express Tribune. “So far, we have registered about 4,500 rickshaws in Peshawar, as the registration deadline expired on January 31.”

Last month, the traffic police launched a drive to register rickshaws and start a shift system. However, the idea was faced with resistance as rickshaws owners and drivers went on strike.

During the first two days of the strike, police and rickshaw drivers clashed and police arrested about nine members of the union. But eventually, the rickshaw drivers’ union agreed to the idea of separate colouring scheme for unregistered rickshaws plying city roads and a two-shift day.

Najeeb said that there were about 40,000 registered rickshaws, which did not have valid road permits and were plying on city roads.

He said the 4,500 rickshaws had been given two colours: white and yellow and were allowed on the roads in two shifts.

He added that the police are also checking documentation of each vehicle to determine the owner’s name and other relevant information.

The police will soon launch a full-fledged campaign against unregistered rickshaws and they will be heavily fined. Drivers of unregistered rickshaws and those registered in other districts will be fined Rs5,000 in the first instance, if caught and Rs10,000 the second time.

“Rickshaws must ply on roads in the district, where they are registered,” Najeeb added. City traffic police figures show that about 10,000 tri-wheelers in the provincial capital had legitimate road permits, out of a total of about 50,000, while others lacked proper documents, road permits and some were even registered outside the district.

A number of rickshaws, painted in yellow, could be seen across the city, waiting for their shift to start, as the white-coloured rickshaws’ shift came to an end at 2pm. Sabir, a rickshaw driver was of the view that those having valid road permits were exempted from shifts.

However, he said that to sit for around eight hours at peak hours from morning to noon, was economically fatal for them. He added that they usually earn Rs600 to Rs800, and have to pay Rs200 to the owner. “It is unjust to make us sit and wait for hours, as we also have families to feed and take care of.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2012.