NA panel orders NHA to suspend toll tax in flooded areas
On Thursday, the Standing Committee on Communications of the National Assembly ordered the National High Authority (NHA) to suspend collecting toll revenue on highways affected by recent floods across the country.
During a meeting presided over by Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo, the committee members objected to the collection of toll tax on the roadways that had been damaged by torrential rains and floods in order to assist the afflicted individuals.
The committee was provided with an update on the highway network. It was reported that the NHA possessed a network of 48 roads with a total length of 14,480 kilometers, including 13 motorways, 32 highways, and three key routes.
Sindh and Balochistan, according to NHA authorities, were plagued by recurrent flooding. In addition, 14 NHA highways were flooded, including a substantial portion of the Indus Highway in Sindh, which was submerged in floodwater.
Members of the committee explained why the NHA was charging tolls on such roads. Abrar Ali Shah informed NHA officials, “We will no longer collect tolls from today.” “Give the folks some convenience,” he continued.
NA panel orders NHA to suspend toll tax in flooded areas
The committee requested that the NHA cease toll tax collection in flooded and damaged road regions. The NHA officials informed the committee that they would evaluate the request for a temporary toll-free passage in the areas affected by flooding.
The NHA officials informed the committee that work is now being conducted on 64 schemes, including 48 new initiatives, with a total budget allocation of Rs1,172 billion.
According to the NHA, four road projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor had been completed (CPEC). They stated that the Zhob-Kuchlak road, which is part of the CPEC Western Corridor, had been delayed due to court issues.
The committee was informed that 82% of the Basima-Khuzdar project and 24% of the Hoshab-Awaran part of Motorway-8 (M-8) had been completed and that the Awaran-Naal section of M-8 had been approved.
Similarly, the committee was informed that the Chitral-Shandur road and the Gilgit-Shandur road were undergoing restoration. The official also mentioned the Rawalpindi-Kharian Motorway, the Kharian-Sialkot Motorway, the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway, and the Lyari Corridor as projects under the public-private partnership.
قومی اسمبلی کی قائمہ کمیٹی برائے مواصلات کے اجلاس میں این ایچ ایم پی افسران کی شرکت!
معزز ممبران قومی اسمبلی کو نیشنل ہائی ویز اینڈ موٹروے پولیس کی کارکردگی کے حوالے سے بریف کیا گیا۔ pic.twitter.com/Ke4TpUTRT9
— National Highways & Motorway Police (NHMP) (@NHMPofficial) September 8, 2022
