KARACHI, May 30: The Sindh government has been deprived of at least Rs200 million tax every year since 2007 as the money instead of going into the treasury is being pocketed by vested interests in league with the traffic police by blocking the registration of the three-wheel motorcycle rickshaw, better known as Qingqi, say sources in the excise and taxation department.

Since the scheme was announced under the President Rozgar Scheme as a public service vehicle in 2007, the government has suffered a revenue loss of at least Rs1 billion, they add.

In the absence of their registration, on the pretext of not being roadworthy by the motor vehicle inspectors, the exact numbers of the three-wheelers operating in the province is not available. However, keeping in view their increasing popularity among commuters in all small and big cities in the province, including Karachi, the excise department estimates their number at 50,000.

This estimate, however, appears low considering the gradual reduction in the strength of minibuses on different routes and increase of the three-wheel vehicles, which have become not only a big relief for people travelling short distances, but also charge lesser.

The Excise and Taxation Department realising the increasing popularity of this mode of travel had moved a summary to the chief minister last year pointing out various brands of three-wheelers plying throughout the province without proper registration by the department required under the Motor Vehicle Ordinance, 1965.

The department had also asked all its directors to intimate to it the number of the vehicles operating in their jurisdiction last year, but except Mirpurkhas division no other directorate has so far informed the department of the number of the tri-wheelers.

The summary was approved by the chief minister and forwarded to the home and transport departments for further action vide a letter dated April 23, 2010.

Before the permission was granted by the chief minister for the registration of the three-wheelers, the home department had also endorsed the views of the taxation department's secretary and recommended their registration as commercial vehicles.

The home department expressed its concern that a large number of motorcycle rickshaws had been operating on different roads in various cities of the province for a long time but they had not been brought into the tax net.

The department had asked the transport secretary to ensure that the vehicles be given proper route permits and the DIG for traffic ensure that fitness certificates were issued to them.

The transport department although notified registration marks for such type of vehicles vide its notification dated July 26, 2010, and about an amendment to the relevant law by a notification dated Feb 21, 2011.

These notifications were also communicated to all directors of the excise and taxation department in the province and the department had also established separate counters for their registration in the divisional headquarters of Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and Mirpurkhas.

But for want of action by the traffic DIG in issuing fitness certificates to the vehicles, the registration of the Qingqis is yet to start.