Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transport Department has canceled the registrations of rickshaw manufacturers and distributors to restrict their numbers and to curb traffic congestion in Peshawar.
The department plans to remove rickshaws from the provincial capital. As an initial step, the authorities will cease unregistered three-wheelers in the city.
In a letter sent to the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority on Monday, the department ordered the cancellation of rickshaw manufacturers’ registrations. It demanded the closure of manufacturers that do not meet the quality and environmental standards.
It also brought the excise and taxation department onboard to cancel the rickshaw distributors’ registrations and shut down their dealerships.
Provincial transport director Fahad Ikram Qazi highlighted that the authorities are imposing this traffic management plan developed after talks with major stakeholders.
He added that the plan entails several other measures to smoothen the flow of traffic in Peshawar:
The administrative measures include structural interventions related to civil works, road markings, awareness campaigns, and the installation of traffic lights.
He stated that the ban on registration of rickshaws was initially imposed 6 years ago. Yet, the manufacturers took advantage of the government’s leniency and kept on producing three-wheelers.
Qazi added that these manufacturers and distributors have forced the government to take action.
