Different Strokes

Two stroke rickshaw to get off the road
There are so many differences in the city where I have a home and in the city where I live. One of them, and a major one let me tell you is in terms of transportation for the common man. Really , this term common man is so derogatrory in so many ways.....but I can't think of a better alternative at the moment.

So, it could be a case of rickshaw versus the taxi . But now even the good old rickshaw faces a competition. The two stroke engine rickshaw faces competition from its newer Chinese version - the four stroke engine model. In a bid to go green perhaps , Punjab government is replacing the two stroke one with four stroke one.


The new model of the auto is quite attractive. It got a lustre exterior and is so spacious that a woman of any size could easily get in and out. You must have heard many a tales of some hind quarters getting stuck in a bid to get out! Well, the credit for that goes to the two stroke version. Four stroke makes no chugging sound and is also good for the environment in that it does not billow smoke that much.
Less smoke and noise but More space and price - The 4 Stroke



Its price is around 150,000 rupees and if you lease it , it would cost you around 240,000.Miantenance of the new auto is expensive . The accelerator wire for example costs around 500 bucks while the two stroke accelerator wire could be replaced in a mere 150.


Rickshaw walas are worried. Difficulties for them multiplied as the passengers for rickshaws have dwindled against growing trend of keeping personal bikes or cars as getting on a rickshaw is no longer considered classy. That's not all, the two stroke rickshaws are banned entry to many important roads of Lahore. Mall road, Jail road, Wahdat Road and even Ferozpur road is to be included in the list where two stroke is not allowed. That automatically brings down the number of passengers that would get on them.




What the Government did not do?


Authorities made a nice move to conserve fuel and environment. But as is always the case , the poor rickshaw wala was ignored. The government gave no incentive to them to switch to the newer version by accepting the old model back from them and letting them have the newer one at a discount. They are simply expected to buy the new model from their pockets at a time when
fuel prices and items of daily use are even beyond the middle classers.


Meanwhile I continue to explore the deep ocean that Lahore is, on a rickshaw sometimes the two stroke one and at times the four stroke one.