A rickshaw driver in Quetta has built a vehicle that runs on sunlight, offering a low cost alternative to petrol at a time when fuel prices continue to rise. Noor Muhammad, who has spent years earning a living behind the wheel of a conventional rickshaw, decided to create his own solar powered model after watching the cost of fuel eat further into his daily income. His project was featured in a report by DW News, which showed how a working driver with limited resources managed to turn an everyday vehicle into a clean energy machine. The rickshaw is now used for his regular work, and it has drawn attention as a practical example of how ordinary people are responding to the pressure of expensive fuel.
The solar rickshaw differs from a standard rickshaw in several important ways. It does not need petrol or engine oil, and it does not require the regular tuning that a conventional engine demands, which means the owner saves money on both fuel and maintenance. According to the report, the vehicle simply charges and drives, making it far easier to operate and look after than the machines most drivers rely on today. A full charge gives the rickshaw a range of 120 kilometers, which is enough for a long day of passenger trips, and because it produces no smoke, it also adds nothing to the air pollution that affects many cities across the country.
The financial impact has been just as noticeable for Muhammad. Before he switched to his own solar rickshaw, he earned roughly 500 Pakistani rupees per day once expenses were deducted. After moving to the new vehicle, his daily income doubled, mainly because he no longer has to spend money on petrol and regular repairs. Sunlight provides the power free of charge, and the battery can still be charged with home electricity on days when there is no sun, so he is not left stranded when the weather turns cloudy. This flexibility makes the rickshaw reliable for daily use, and it shows that the design works under everyday conditions and not only on bright days.
Building the vehicle was far from easy. Muhammad had to borrow money to complete the project and worked with a very limited set of tools, yet he remains confident in the solar technology he has developed. He believes the idea can reach many more drivers if the right support is available. In his view, government help in the form of a proper workspace, tools and machinery would allow his team to produce up to ten solar rickshaws every week. With that capacity, he hopes to expand solar powered transport across Pakistan and give more drivers a chance to cut their costs, raise their earnings and move away from fuel that is becoming harder to afford.
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