Drivers in distress: Commuters express dismay over extra toll plazas on motorways

Causing severe traffic problems, waste of time, payment of more toll-tax

ISLAMABAD: Commuters and drivers traveling frequently on the motorways have expressed distress over construction of too many toll plazas.

They expressed their opinion that the construction of new toll plazas was creating more stops in their way and hence leading to a waste of time. Their complaint stated that they had to wait in long queues to take cards at entry points, and now they had to pay toll fees three times instead of just once. Naveed Khattak, a van driver traveling for work from Peshawar to Faisalabad daily, had to cross the entry points of M-1 at Peshawar, then at entry point of M-2 at Islamabad and finally M-4 at Pindi Bhattian.

Another driver Amjad Mehmood, who travels daily from Attock to Islamabad daily and then returns home in the evening, said it was common to see long queues at the make-shift tool plaza on the exit of M-1.

Additional complaints were also made by disgruntled passengers, commuting between Faisalabad and Islamabad, stating that the toll plazas created a traffic mess. He furthermore added that he did not see the purpose of creating such a problem amidst a smooth journey.

When contacted, an official of National Highway Authority said that the separation of M-1 and M-2 management has created problems in toll collection but it became obligatory after M-1 was handed over to Frontier Works Organization (FWO) on a build, operate and transfer basis.

He reminded that M-1 was handed over to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) on built operate and transfer basis.

About the Islamabad toll plaza, he said after formal approval from the National Highway Authority (NHA) Executive Board, contract was likely to be awarded for construction of 16-lane Islamabad Interchange of Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-1) soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2018.