ISLAMABAD – The Federal Ombudsman Secretariat on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Communications to prepare the first ever National Transport Policy (NTP) within fortnight.
Presiding over a meeting here, Senior Adviser for Law and Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokher took strict notice over the non-serious attitude of the ministry for not taking concrete steps to focus on transport, the seventh pillar of Pakistan’s Vision 2025.
Khokhar directed officials of the ministry to submit acompliance report in this regard to the secretariat with its recommendations and updates about the policy. Briefing the meeting, Dr Umar Gul, a transport expert, said that the country was in dire need of a transport policy as the Motor Vehicle Rules, 1969 were still enforced in the country which showsthe seriousness of the ministry.
“National Highway Safety Ordinance was made in 2000 but yet no rules have been formulated under this ordinance”, he said and added that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report every year 35,000 deaths occur on Pakistani roads which is alarming for every concerned person.
He said that the number was not merely 35,000 as subsequently 244,000 people directly affected from these accidents and financial loss was measured as equal to the education budget of Pakistan. Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokhar, while showing his grave concern over the figures, directed the officials of the communications ministry to come up with doable recommendations and make a diverse policy in this regard.
He said that the ministry should focus on the vehicles piling on National Motorways and Highways in the first phase and directions should be displayed prominently at all toll plazas throughout the country. Khokhar also directed the National Highways and Motorway Police to prepare annual national road safety plan within 30 days.
The commissioner urged that the ministry should include all rectification measures for road safety and improving of roads infrastructure including facilities and awareness mechanism to commuters and in this regard awareness should be created using electronic and print media among general public to avoid road accidents.
It was also suggested during the meeting that short courses should also be conducted for long vehicles’ drivers to create awareness and avoid risk at Highways and Motorways. Khokher suggested that non-registered vehicles should be impounded and strict action should be taken against the drivers of such vehicles.
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