Rickshaw drivers hold protest

Published May 17, 2005

HYDERABAD, May 16: A large number of rickshaw drivers staged a demonstration outside the press club on Monday in protest against what they called harassment traffic police. Saleem Tareen and Khan Wali led the protesters.

They said they would not install fare meters in rickshaws unless prices of petrol were stabilized by the government.

They said they were being harassed by police for one or the other reason.

They called upon the government to save them from economic starvation.

It may be pointed out that on April 15, the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, had directed the secretary of the Regional Transport Authority to pass necessary orders for installing fare meters in motor rickshaws under provisions of section 53 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 read with section rule 124 of the Motor Vehicle Rules 1969.

The court ordered the motor vehicle inspector to ensure compliance of orders and check that no rickshaw was allowed to ply in the district until it was fitted with fare meter, silencer and was not smoke emitting.