Shunted out
the Pakistan government is planning to replace about 100,000 two-stroke engine autorickshaws with four-stroke engines to check the growing air and noise pollution in the cities.
A delegation of leading manufacturers of autorickshaws recently held a meeting with the officials of the environment ministry and presented a proposal to the environment minister Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood.
The number of two-stroke rickshawshas substantially increased over the years, resulting in increased levels of carcinogenic emissions. The government has asked the manufacturers to focus on the possibility of using four-stroke engines in their rickshaws.
Government officials says that action will also be taken to check the use of rickshaws with high emissions of fuel and gases. Experts say that pollution control in the autorickshaw is a complex matter, which needs regulatory, administrative and technical measures. A report in the Pakistan daily Dawn says that the environment minister has also directed officials of his ministry to approach provincial governments to discourage manufacture and use of the polluting rickshaws.
Meanwhile, the ministry has also urged rickshaw owners not to use excessive lubricating oil and also not to remove the silencer so as to reduce noise and air pollution. Sources said that a proposal to launch a mass awareness campaign against smoke-emitting and noisy rickshaws was also under consideration. Such small passenger vehicles, they said, were major sources of air and noise pollution.
The manufacturers have also been asked to look into the possibility of introducing separate lubricating systems in the existing rickshaws, till the time that they are replaced.
According to a study of the Hydro-Carbon Development Institute of Pakistan ( hdip ), rickshaw drivers are using 12 per cent lubricating oil in fuel tanks instead of the required two per cent. The excessive oil causes visible emissions and generates a sticky material which reacts with un-burnt carbon and chokes the silencer. To avoid this, rickshaw drivers take out the silencer elements which nullify its purpose.
Many countries like India, Thailand and China have started manufacturing four-stroke engine rickshaws which generate less air and noise pollution.
Recently, the government has allowed manufacture of Chinese four-stroke engine rickshaws for goods and public transport under a joint venture of Saigol of Pakistan and Qinkqui of China.