While reading some online articles about Pakistan, I’ve found a vehicle which is the product of a joint venture between Jinan Qingqi of China and Suzuki of Japan. It is more of a motorcycle than a scooter. More powerful and less costly. By the time Pakistani ingenuity has its way with the machine, it transforms itself into a six-seater auto-rickshaw-like-thing that is called Qingqi by most people, rather than a rickshaw (and you can always squeeze more, because ‘dil baRRa hoona chahiaye’).
These are found in large and small cities across Pakistan now, but have become particularly prevalent in small towns and secondary cities. The reason for its runaway success is that you do not need to find as many passengers as you do for a ‘wagon’ or a ‘Suzuki dabba‘ but you can charge by the individual passenger rather than for the full ride (as you would for a Taxi or a Rickshaw ride). But what about significant payload? Can this type of vehicle haul water, produce, or construction materials? I doubt… I truly believe that there is a big market for BUVs in Pakistan, yet we should not discard Qingqi as our potential competitor. Just a thought…
