I’m a university student and travelling in public transportation is my need, just like any other person who belongs to a middle class family and has to leave house every day.
The condition of public buses is in no way welcoming for a girl, I travel in Qingqi rickshaws. As convenient as they are for most of the population of Karachi, they are also dangerous. A standard Qingqi rickshaw has seating capacity for six people, accommodating three people on each of its two seats. The shape and design of this tricycle vehicle requires passengers to balance their weight carefully or they are at a risk of losing balance and falling off the rickshaw. It also puts the driver in a difficult position as he has to offset the balance deficit if there are passengers only in the back seat.
In some cases, these rickshaws lose balance at a speed breaker or a turn. The people sitting in the back seat, in this case, are specifically prone to facing injuries. The government should introduce a proper mechanism to ensure that no passenger gets hurt while riding these rickshaws, and ban those drivers who don’t follow safety instructions.
MANAL KHAN
IBM, Karachi
