NHA taking steps to keep road users well informed: Senate body apprised

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas was informed on Thursday that National Highway Authority was taking multiple steps to keep the road users well informed regarding conditions of roads.

NHA chairman told the committee members that motorists were being informed about the road situation through local/electronic and social media to make their journey comfortable and safe.

He said the authority has also started program on its website to facilitate the commuters regarding road situation during their travel.

The committee that met here with Usman kakar in the chair underscored the need to improve road situation across the country to attract foreign and local tourist besides providing safe road environment to the travelers.

Giving briefing on steps taken by NHA for the land acquisition and bidding process for the construction of roads motorways from Zhob to Kuchlak the chairman apprised the Senate body that NHMP has demanded Rs. 15443.977 million from the Finance Division through Ministry of Communications for financial Year 2020-2021for logistics for 21 new roads of Phase I, II and III including Rs. 1, 723,458 for the N-50 (Kuchalk-Zhob- DIKhan).

Similarly, he said Rs. 807, 171,209 for the N-25 Karachi-Sarana-Chaman-Quetta), however no funds for N-50 AND N-25 have been allocated by the Finance Division in Financial Year 2020-2021.

NHA chairman further told the committee that four numbers of service areas and four number of emergency Response centers was included in PC-1 of Kuchlac to Zhob (N-50) Project which was under procurement and be completed up to December, 2020.

He said 3 Road user facilitation Centers were also planned to facilitate road use of Senthoi District Zhob, Manikhwa District Sherani and Sangar District Sheriani.

Replying to a question, he said procurement of civil works was expected to be completed within six months and road user facilities centre would be included Medical Centers, Shops, and Pharmacy, Waiting Area, Prayer Area, Social Activity Area and Restaurant and NH&MP offices.

The Chairman told that NHA intends to dualize and rehabilitate Route N-25 which stars from Karachi and terminates at Chman, crossing through Hub, Uthal, Khuzdar and Quetta under Public Private Partership on Build-Operate-Transfer basis.

He said detail design for Khuzdar –Chaman Section including Kuchlak –Chaman was in progress and construction of Road from Chakdara to Mingora has been constructed as per drawings and design.