Makeshift ‘Jugaad’ Vehicles Continue to Ply in Muktsar Despite Safety Concerns

• May 16, 2025

Flouting traffic regulations with impunity, illegal makeshift vehicles—locally known as ghadukas, peter rehdas, and bhoonds—continue to operate openly across Punjab’s Muktsar district. Despite being unregistered and deemed unsafe, these vehicles remain in high demand due to the lack of reliable public transportation, especially in rural areas.

These improvised vehicles serve different purposes: while ghadukas are primarily used to transport heavy construction materials like cement and bricks, bhoonds—extended, locally assembled three-wheelers—are commonly used to ferry passengers between villages and towns. Often overloaded and poorly maintained, they pose serious safety risks to both passengers and other road users.

For many villagers, however, these jugaad vehicles are a lifeline. Harjeet Kaur, a resident of Attari village, travels home from Muktsar town each evening in a bhoond. “Who wants to risk their life?” she says. “But people like me don’t have any other option. There’s no bus or alternative transport available late in the day.”

Despite repeated warnings and government directives, these vehicles continue to operate under the radar. Transport Department officials insist that they are cracking down on violators. “We are dealing strictly with those operating illegal vehicles,” said a department officer.

However, residents argue that without better and more accessible public transport options, enforcement alone won't solve the problem. Until then, these unauthorized and potentially hazardous vehicles will likely remain a fixture on Muktsar’s rural roads.