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| May 15, 2005 | Sunday | Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1426 |
Traffic dept launches drive against rickshaws
PESHAWAR, May 14: The NWFP traffic department has launched a drive against unregistered rickshaws to reduce both the traffic rush and pollution caused by these tri-wheelers.
The decision was taken while keeping in view the increasing rush in the city during peak hours and the pollution — both smoke and noise — caused by the rickshaws, said the DSP Traffic, City, Malik Nasarullah Khan, while talking to the APP.
He said rickshaws were the main source of traffic mess and pollution in the city and, therefore, it had been decided by the traffic department to drive out those tri-wheelers which were plying illegally in the city.
He said that between 2,000 and 3,000 rickshaws had been impounded, fined heavily and ordered to be taken out of the city.
He said: “We have imposed a heavy fine on the drivers of illegal rickshaws so that they could not commit the same offence again. Each rickshaw has been fined up to Rs5,000. Such action has been taken under section 44/106 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance.”
DSP Malik Nasrullah Khan said that in Peshawar district about 12,000 rickshaws were registered but 15,000 to 17,000 were plying, creating a lot of problems for the people and traffic department as well.
He said that the traffic department was also working on a plan to run rickshaws in the city in shifts, and added that under the plan rickshaws would be divided into two groups by colouring them into two separate shades.
He said that rickshaw drivers had been informed about it.
The DSP traffic said that if the plan was implemented, then not only would the rush of traffic be reduced but also the rickshaw drivers would be able to get some time for rest.
He said the traffic department had taken a number of measures to regularize traffic flow in the city and avoid choking of traffic arteries.
He said: “We have declared a number of routes in the city to be one way. Similarly, some new routes passing through busy bazaars are also under consideration for being declared as one way.”
He said: “A fork lifter has been shifted to the interior city to curtail the offence of wrong parking in the city.”
Earlier, he said that people were not abiding with the law regarding wrong parking in the city. “But now ever since the fork lifter is being used in the city, people are taking care while parking vehicles in busy areas.”
The DSP also suggested that improvement in road condition in the city would also reduce traffic jams. He requested the leaders of traders associations to take measures for removing encroachments in bazaars which were causing traffic problems.
He said removal of encroachments was the job of the Town administration, Cantonment Board, and not the traffic department.—APP
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