Sindh imposes gradual ban on Qingqi rickshaws in Karachi

KARACHI: To tackle rising traffic congestion and fatal accidents in the city, authorities have decided to enforce a phase-wise ban on Qingqi rickshaws, beginning with restrictions on major roads.

Under the newly finalized Traffic and Road Safety laws, the inspector general of police has banned Qingqi rickshaws from entering five major roads.

The banned routes include Shaheen Complex to Tower via II Chundrigar Road, Metropole Intersection to Star Gate on Sharea Faisal, Lily Intersection to Submarine Underpass on Khaliq uz Zaman Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Liaquatabad No. 10 Gharibabad to National Stadium, and Drigh Road to Sohrab Goth on Rashid Minhas Road.

Amid worsening traffic congestion and a surge in fatal accidents, authorities have taken action after at least 207 people lost their lives and 2,623 others sustained injuries in traffic incidents this year.

In response to public criticism over rising fatalities, authorities banned unregistered vehicles in Karachi and revised dumper truck timings, restricting their operation to 10 PM to 6 AM.

Motorcyclists Must Stick to the Left Lane Under New Traffic Rule:

Under the new traffic rules, authorities will enforce a strict crackdown on transporters, motorcycle riders, and Qingqi rickshaws. They will take action against water-spilling tankers and motorcyclists who fail to wear helmets.

Riders must keep their headlights, tail lights, and indicators in proper working condition. Additionally, they must ensure their registration number plates are visible on both sides. Drivers are also required to use rearview mirrors and carry their driving licenses at all times.

Motorcyclists must stay in the left lane, and authorities will impose fines on those found riding in the middle or right lanes.

Tracker and Dashcam Now Mandatory for Vehicles:

Authorities have made GPS trackers, dashcams, rearview cameras, and cabin cameras mandatory to preserve, assess, and analyze evidence in case of an accident. The meeting also instructed oil tankers to install buffer plates.

The modern traffic monitoring system and automatic number plate recognition cameras will identify and fine motorcyclists and vehicles that break red signals or stop beyond the marked line.

The authorities discussed installing speed cameras to enforce speed limits and lane-monitoring cameras to identify vehicles in the wrong lane. They also decided to impose an additional fine of Rs 2,500 on repeat violators.