Owners complain police didn't help legalise motorcycle rickshaws. PHOTO: PPI
To overcome traffic clogs in the city and to speed up the flow on roads, the traffic police have imposed a ban on Qingqi rickshaws across the city.
AIGP Ghulam Qadir Thebo told The Express Tribune on Wednesday that they have started a crackdown against Qingqi rickshaws in the city and have banned its use as public transportation. The initial ban was only for district South, but police have extended it to the entire city now, he clarified. "Initially, we were fining those riding the rickshaws but now we will impound the driver or the owner and even register an FIR," he added. Over 200 of these rickshaws have been impounded by the police in the last two days since the crackdown started. "The impounded Qingqis can only be released through the court."
Why the ban?
The Qingqi rickshaws are illegal and have never been registered, according to Thebo. "They register these as a motorcycle but use them as a public transport carrying six to eight passengers," he pointed out. "They have no fitness certificates and they generally use stolen engines." Thebo felt these rickshaws cause nuisance and clog the traffic flow.
"The owners of these rickshaws have taken over flyovers and intersections like a mafia," he claimed.
"Karachi is a cosmopolitan city and you can't allow something to ply the roads when it is illegal from its very foundations," he said, admitting that there is a dire need for more public transport facilities. He added, however, that the ban on Qingqi rickshaws does not mean commuters have no other option.
Six-seat and nine-seat rickshaws are also under surveillance. "We will ban them too, if they are illegal and do not have fitness certificates," said Thebo.
Who is affected?
The Qingqi richshaw owners, who belong to the All Karachi Qingqi Rickshaw Welfare Association, and other unions have condemned the ban. The association's members gathered at Nipa Chowrangi to protest the decision on Wednesday evening.
"The decision is completely unfair and cruel," said the association's president, Syed Safdar Shah Qadri. "The ban has been imposed just a few days ahead of Eid, which is unjust to thousands of commuters and people who are solely dependent on it."
Admitting that Qingqis are illegal, Qadri grieved that the traffic police had failed to provide any instructions on how to legalise them. "We have been running Qingqis for the past eight to nine years and are in continuous contact with the traffic police to devise a plan to get them legalised and attain fitness certificates," he said, adding that the police have shown little interest.
According to Qadri around 40,000 Qingqi rickshaws are presently plying on Karachi roads.
Those who support
The body of public transport buses, coaches and minibuses - the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) - has appreciated the ban. KTI general-secretary Syed Mehmood Afridi told The Express Tribune that Qingqis were illegal, with no registration, route permits and their owners did not pay taxes. "These rickshaws cause severe jams on roads," he added.
"They have taken away our passengers who only wanted to travel short distances," admitted Afridi. Now, the buses only have passengers travelling long distances of up to 50 kilometres, he added. "We transporters are already fed up with the way the transport system is running in the country, these Qingqis were further discouraging us."
Where did they come from?
In Pakistan, the Qingqi rickshaws were first introduced in Lahore under the President Rozgar Scheme in 2001. They started plying in Karachi since the year they were introduced, 2001. The open-hooded body is pulled by a 100cc motorcycle and the motorcycle is modified and joined with a two-wheeled, open-ended cart at the back. Unlike regular cars, its wheels are given acceleration with chains instead of a shaft.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2013.
COMMENTS (20)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
The traffic police in the metropolis is improving a lot. I don't know the reason behind it but I really appreciate the efforts I am confronted by, daily in my 75KMS long journey. You'll see a lot of alternate routes are now managed by the personals, traffic signals being handled by them and so on and so forth. This again is a good step. But if they ban the Super Star 9-12 seater rickshaws... I think it would be a bad step, because it is something legal. A COMPANY designed and constructed it. You should only force drivers having licenses and other necessary things.
Those who cry for leaving, big amount of people unemployed... I agree, and I fear these will only turn to Gun, after hunger is out of their control. But on the same page, remember these were the very fuel to crimes before. What were the people involved in driving it? An 80% drug addict, and terrorists! So we should provide them with healthy alternatives, like switching to buying Rickshaws or those 9-12 seated Rickshaws(best Qingqy alternative).
@Concered Pakistani:A million ?? where are you getting these figures from?? i think you didn't even read the whole article ..its clearly states that there are 40k qinqi rickshaws in Karachi right now ..but the figure doeskin even matter, what does is that its harmful for people riding it and also for commuters they are motorbikes attached to a metal body ..i traveled on them often they don't even have an adequate braking system ..let alone stacking them with 6..7 grown up people..i am not against the concept of cheap commute it sounds reasonable, especially for a city where the majority of people belong to a middle income group, and i think in future these qinqis would be replaced by a relatively well built cng rickshaws, and i would rather pay 5 more rupees instead of risking my life
This is a good step taken by the authorities, no doubt about that. But why do we see that the authorities never put an eye towards the workings of mini-busses in the city. Probably the mini bus mafia has grown too strong to be questioned! (but then thats the way it works here in Pakistan).
Transport(buses minibuses) is a big Mafia in khi there is no doubt about it they never let the green buses , UTC etc run in he city and they will never allow any other mass transit projects to flourish.Although these qingqis were convenient for the passengers but they r sure causing traffic congestions on the road, Instead of banning they should restrict them to some sub-routes and certain no of qingqi' should be allowed for every route
If they were illegal, good that they have been banned. But the question arises how did these vehicles mashroomed to 40000? Without transport authority, city government, police they can not ply on roads.
Secondly the buses and mini buses that are on the road are also death trap. When will the city government ask them to upgrade. Since I moved to Lahore, i have seen much better buses, proper seats, etc on the roads comparred to old ricketty gas guzzling smoke emitting mini buses and buses comparred to Karachi.
The transport authority mafia should also be taken to task, else they conived with authotities to ban these rickshaws
It is true that we need a better transport system . These Qingqi 's were literally saviours to us students as we had to stand in the buses for long distances , and that also with the load of our books . Please remove the ban . Just for environmental benefits you are discouraging us to educate ourselves......
Neither this decision is bad nor good. I admit that there are few disadvantages of Qingqis but there advantages are more than disadvantages. After this decision the Crime rate will be increase in the city and then only Traffic Police will be responsible for it.
They were in this business from last 5 years, and all you can see them now. People know's that who will be benefited from this decision, it's the bus owners who's business was demolished due to these Rickshaws. If Govt can't provide cheap transportation then they must not take these kind of majors. People these days are frightened of travelling in buses because of pocket pickers and mobile snatchers, If they are that worried about traffic and noise then they should check all the buses whether they are road worthy or not because all the buses running in Karachi are not eligible to run on the roads.
very bad decision
Well done. Good Step multiple benifits aganist one loss.
This decision will severely affect the average commuter who has gotten used to this mode of transport. It was a cheap substitute for the already over-crowded buses that drive like killing machines on the streets of Karachi. If the Qingqis are illegal then they should have been banned before they became a major mode of transport of the city. This whole situation reeks of foul-play.
Another blow to poor citizens of Karachi with no means of decent transport. Already the minibuses are overflowing with people on their roofs... supporters of this ban? please try going around this city without your car someday and see how difficult it is for the common man or anyone using public transport!
Heightened unemployment =increased crime rates. Thanks for the perfect planning, masters!
QingQis of Pakistan are the illegitimate hybrids of Motorbike and Rickshaws, both parents having their own inherent defects. Now we are being told the motorbikes were stolen ones. What was the traffic police doing when these vehicles were flourishing on the roads of Karachi. The vehicle has not chasis number or engine number that can be identified. Does it pay the excise tax?
All of a sudden traffic police has realized that these Qinchees are illegal. Keeping this illegal thing apart, it was a very cheap source of transport for average Karachians.
Very good decision, but I ask you Mr. AGIP have you ever thought about checking the fitness certificate of regular mini buses and vans in karachi. Have you ever bothered to investigate use of CNG in them without any permit??? looks like banning qingqi is part of some plan
@Conerned Pakistani since you think a million will be unemployed why don't you and your buddies figure out another method to help these people, the transport situation in Karachi is a mess it is the responsibility of our officials to ease the traffic patterns, but like most issues the officials with local citizens need to work side by side to resolve these issues including finding alternative sources of employment for the displaced. The buildings in Karachi are filthy in desperate need of paint there is graffiti and plastered posters on walls and tons of garbage line the streets you can form a social platform to beautify your beloved Karachi and help these people! it's a win-win* situation! Don't ask what your Government can do ask what you can do for the people!
AND more than a million people will be unemployed. How will they feed their families? Oh sorry I forgot... through CRIME! Not to forget the load on other already overloaded means of transport will also increase, as millions of commuters will now look for alternatives for travelling. Government PLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSS think before what you do.
The only good step taken by karachi police. Well done.