Motorcycle rickshaws to be replaced with electric bikes

Islamabad : The climate change ministry has decided to prepare a ‘Chingchi (qingqi) Rickshaw Retirement Plan’ to reduce carbon emission and improve air quality especially in the urban areas of Pakistan.

According to the details, the ministry would prepare a working paper in coordination with the experts from the private sector that would be shared with the relevant departments for further consideration.

An official informed that the provincial environmental authorities would provide their input over the working paper, adding “Then finally the climate change ministry and provincial departments will prepare recommendations to replace Chingchi rickshaws with electric motorcycles and vehicles."

The data showed that Chingchi rickshaws are powered by two-stroke engines that are simple and compact in design, cheap, and easy to maintain. But conventionally designed two-stroke engines produce high levels of hydrocarbons in exhaust emissions--5,500 parts per million (ppm).

There are few public transport facilities due to which the Chingchi rickshaws have become the prevalent option across the country. Several attempts to regularise or restrict motorcycle rickshaws to certain areas had failed in the past due to a lack of coordination between the traffic police, excise and taxation, and the transport departments.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that Chingchi rickshaws are adversely affecting the air quality and natural environment so electric motorcycles and rickshaws are the future of the transportation system in Pakistan.

He said the government is going to prepare Chingchi retirement plan and introduce electric motorcycles in cities to curb air pollution.