The negligence of the traffic police has resulted in a high number of six-seater rickshaws without registration plates traversing Karachi’s roads.
Although motorists have been fined for fancy number plates, tinted windows, pressure horns, unregistered vehicles, and other traffic laws violations, unregistered six-seater rickshaws still traverse various highways, carrying passengers and breaking traffic rules in plain sight of the traffic police who remain oblivious to the issue.
Citizens say that it is mandatory for everyone to follow traffic rules, and violators should be fined but the traffic police seem to target ordinary citizens. They opine that rickshaw drivers should also obey traffic rules, especially those who drive 6-seaters without registration plates while carrying passengers.
Upon being asked, a rickshaw driver explained that the Excise Department has delayed issuing his vehicle’s registration number, which is why he is driving without it. He admitted that driving a rickshaw without a registration number is illegal but remarked that anything can be done in Karachi.
When contacted for a comment on the matter by the media, DIG Traffic Ahmed Yar Chauhan said that the best way to find out more is to contact the Excise Department and hung up the phone.
Considering his response, it seems like driving rickshaws sans registration plates onto the highways is not illegal, and perhaps, it just might be true that anything goes in Karachi.
Via express
Traffic Police is not oblivious of unregistered rickshaws, besides other violators like bikers making u-turns from dividers, going wrong way, buses making stops mid road, donkey carts on major roads, vehicle emitting black smoke etc. They rather prefer more lucrative targets like transporters and over-loaders to mint some extra for the pocket.