Motorcycles are the common binding factor amongst Karachiites. From the working class to the middle class, from drivers to office workers, it is the ever-present two-wheeler which has crossed the bounds of ethnicity, class and language and unites citizens of the metropolis.
The two-wheelers have evolved from being a luxury to a necessity; back in the early days of Pakistan it was the bicycle that was the popular mode of commuting for the common man. Even the largest of distances seemed coverable because the other options were either to use the tram or to go by foot.
Those who had the means used the tram but those who didn’t preferred bicycles; hence it was considered a prized possession. The introduction of scooters — made famous by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday — proved to be another option since buying a car was out of reach for many, and still is.
The two-seaters were not only comfortable but were also convenient on the pocket as they didn’t require loads of petrol. Be it office-going people, teachers or government officers, whoever could afford to would buy a scooter for transportation.
And then arrived the motorcycle, the next-level two-wheeler that has been the first-choice of all since at least the 1970s. Not only was the excitement of owning a bike fuelled by the filmi heroes who drove a motorcycle on screen to either impress a woman or transport her, the price factor also made it popular amongst the new generation.
Motorbikes with designs similar to scooters were on the road till the 1980s, but mostly faded away as the city moved into the ’90s. Till now, Karachi in particular and Pakistan in general has been overwhelmed with motorcycles.
The motorcycle is the most common mode of transportation in the city these days and people are unfazed by the frequent pillion-riding bans by the government. It is also true that motorcyclists are most often subjected to snap-checking because most mobile snatchings and targeted killing (unfortunate trademarks of Karachi) involve motorbikes.
What was once known as the ‘City of Lights’ can now be termed the ‘City of Bikes’ as there are probably more bikes here than there are in the rest of the country. If you ever get stuck in a traffic jam in Karachi, cars aren’t able to move due to space issues but these two-wheelers are, along with the few bicycles and even fewer scooters on the road.
Yet many bikers can be a nuisance as they throw caution to the wind and drive carelessly. Penalties and fines must therefore be enforced to keep the daredevil motorcyclists at bay. Let’s hope that motorcyclists — and all motorists really — that use Karachi’s roads learn to drive their vehicles according to the rules not only for their own safety, but for the safety of all road users.
