Qingqi rickshaws continue to defy lockdown rules

Qingqi rickshaws continue to defy the government's decision of lockdown in the provincial capital and thus they are seen on roads fully loaded with passengers even though the cases of Coronavirus are on the rise.

The government has asked the people to maintain a minimum distance of three feet from others, which will help in limiting the spread of the virus but it seems the people refuse to follow the advice. It was observed that motorcycle rickshaws crammed with six to eight people are commonly seen in congested areas and away from main roads where the monitoring of police is the least. Many of the people using these rickshaws are female housemaids who use this mode of transport to get to their work.

While talking to the Business Recorder here on Tuesday, a motorcycle rickshaw drive, Rizwan, said that he has no choice but to earn money for his household. "My daily earning feeds my family and if I stay at home we will go hungry. Yes there is a risk, but Allah will protect us," he added. He was carrying six people without any protective gear in his rickshaw, all packed together.

A woman told this scribe that she is a house-maid and her employer refused to give her a leave; "if I do not go to work, they will deduct money from my salary, which I cannot afford". She said my house is at a fair distance from my work and this is the only transport available these days, although they have doubled the charges.