In a milestone step, Punjab caretaker government today handed over the first ever e-rickshaw manufacturing license to Sazgar Engineering. It is pertinent to mention that Sazgar is a top rickshaw manufacturing company in Pakistan and even exports, and it is a huge leap for the company as well as for the local auto industry. The government has been focusing on electric vehicles in the province to combat the issue of pollution and smog. For last number of years, the city of Lahore has become at the top of the list of most polluted cities in the world.
e-Rickshaw License
The license was handed over to the company’s head Asad Hameed during a ceremony held in Lahore, attended by caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Furthermore, there was a previous policy making it essential for the companies to pay Rs. 2 million tax on introduction of new variant of EVs, but now it has been reduced to facilitate the manufacturers.
As per the government, the manufacturing/assembling of electric rikshaws in Pakistan will introduce a new era of public transport with low maintenance and less burden on the environment. This is a good step by the government but its success would be dependent on a number of factors including consistency in government policies, import duties on EV parts, market competition and above all, infrastructure for the repairing and charging of these electric three-wheelers.
The previous government did made major announcements for EV sector, i.e., low taxes on EVs and lower duties in their imports, rather the new auto policy was heavily focused on EVs. However, the biggest concern for countries like Pakistan is the infrastructure and policy consistency. To run these rickshaws smoothly, the government will need to establish a whole network of charging stations in the province, a major task for a country which regularly faces electricity shortfall. Although, the government has announced it will establish charging stations at government-run parking stands, still it would need a lot of effort to make is successful. We sincerely hope that it would be a successful initiative.
What do you think about e-rickshaws running on roads of Punjab? Do you think it would be a success in the long run? Please tell us in the comments section.
