PESHAWAR, July 15: The traffic department is considering a plan to make shifts for rickshaws to ply the city so as to ease traffic congestion. DSP of Traffic, Malik Nasarullah Khan, said the plan was being considered to control pollution being created by these vehicles.

He said the traffic department had held a meeting with the rickshaw drivers to inform them about the plan. Mr Khan said, "We have given them one month's time to respond to the proposal."

According to the plan the rickshaws would be divided into two groups by colouring them in two separate shades. Rickshaws of one shade would be allowed to ply in the morning and the other in the evening.

Mr Khan said that there were about 8,000 registered and 7,000 unregistered rickshaws in the city. The department had also launched a drive to educate the rickshaw drivers about traffic rules.

The DSP further said that another proposal for controlling traffic in the interior of the city was to make some new routes as 'one way'. He said the traffic officials had held talks with traders and shopkeepers through the Sarhad Chamber to identify the areas that were prone to traffic congestions. Mr Khan also said the department had finalized 21 routes for the buses. -APP