Karachi Bans Qingqi Rickshaws on 26 Major Roads. Full List, Reasons & Penalties

Traffic in Karachi has been pure pain for years, and hours stuck on Shahrah-e-Faisal. Signals that never move. And half the problem comes from overloaded Qingqi rickshaws weaving everywhere.

The administration finally said enough. They just expanded the ban on 1+2 and 1+4 rickshaws to 26 major roads across the city.

This is not the first time. They did it before from April to June, then again starting October 18. Now, in December, they added six more roads and made it clear: no Qingqi on these routes until December 17.

The New Roads Added to the Ban

Authorities just added these six roads this week:

• University Road

• Korangi Road

• Orangi Road

• Super Highway (up to Malir Cantt)

• Mauripur Road

• Shahrah-e-Pakistan

That brings the total to 26.

The big ones already on the list include Shahrah-e-Faisal, II Chundrigar Road, Shahrah-e-Quaideen, Shaheed-e-Millat Road, Shershah Suri Road, and many more stretches where traffic is always choked.

If you drive in Karachi daily, you already know these roads. They’re the ones where you lose half your day.

Why They Did This Now

Simple. People kept complaining. Accidents kept happening. Traffic reports showed Qingqis stopping anywhere, loading 8 people instead of 4, driving the wrong way, and blocking entire lanes.

DIG Traffic sent a recommendation. Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi signed the order under Section 144. Done.

They’re not playing around this time. SHOs have direct orders: catch a violating rickshaw, register FIR under Section 188. That means court, fine, maybe jail time. Police are already impounding rickshaws on the spot.

Who This Hurts the Most

Rickshaw drivers are angry. Many feed families with these vehicles. A driver from Korangi told me, “University Road ban means I lose half my earnings. Where do I go now?”

Passengers who pay 50 to 70 rupees for short rides will feel it too. Maids, students, factory workers, and people who can’t afford Careem or bikes now have fewer options.

But most car drivers I know are relieved. One friend said, “Finally. Shahrah-e-Faisal might actually move in the morning.”

Where Rickshaws Can Still Run

Plenty of places. All the smaller streets inside neighbourhoods, most of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Malir, Landhi, Liaquatabad lanes, all fine.

They just can’t enter the main arteries anymore. The idea is to keep the big roads fast and safe.

What Drivers Should Do Right Now

If you own or drive a Qingqi, stay off those 26 roads until December 17. After that, who knows, they might extend it again, like they always do.

Some drivers are shifting to smaller auto rickshaws (the yellow CNG ones) because those are still allowed almost everywhere.

Others are parking the Qingqi and driving bikes for InDrive or Bykea. Not easy money, but better than getting your vehicle seized.

Will This Actually Fix Karachi Traffic?

Short term, yes. Those roads will feel better for a few weeks.

Long-term no. We keep adding vehicles every day. No new buses, no working train, no proper transport plan.

Until the government brings back decent public buses or finishes the BRT lines, we’ll keep doing these temporary bans every few months.

But for now, if you drive a car or bike, enjoy the slightly emptier roads while they last.

Just don’t get too happy. December 17 is only 11 days away.

For more updates, visit DrivePK.com