A Pakistani private manufacturer of rickshaw Sazgar Engineering, has been exporting its 4 stroke CNG Auto rickshaws to Japan for some time time now.
It would be interesting to know that rickshaw was invented in Japan circa 1869, after the lifting of a ban on wheeled vehicles from the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), and at the beginning of a rapid period of technical advancement in Japan. Automated cycle rickshaws, called velotaxis, are popular in Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan. Their use is growing at a rate of about 20-30% a year in Japanese cities
According to Ismail, the sales head at Sazgar Engineering, locally manufactured rickshaws are famous in Japan for their traditional and colourful art.
Furthermore, he added, the rickshaws’ small size makes them perfect for commuting in the narrow streets of Japan and are used by citizen’s there for travelling short distances.
Ismail said that the rickshaws fit Japan’s high road safety standards, adding that they are the only three-wheelers allowed on Japanese highways
The rickshaw’s run at a speed of 50 kilometres per hour, he added.
He said that Pakistan needs to capitalise on the rickshaw market and expand its exports.
“The appeal and quality of the vehicles should be maintained and improved for the growth of the market.”
Sazgar Engineering company was incorporated in September 1991 as a private limited company, but later it converted into a public limited company in November 1994.
For years, Pakistan has been importing automobiles from Japan and Toyota, Honda, Suzuki have become household names in the country.
