Lack of facilities on M3

ISLAMABAD: With the inauguration of the new motorway earlier this year, that connects Lahore to further parts of Pakistan towards Multan and onwards, many people rejoiced. As the previously appointed route between these cities was poorly built, with improper roads and dangerously located settlements, which also caused the trip duration to move up to around 6 hours. However, even with the newly built motorway, with its pristine roads and an infrastructure that surely meets the international standards, there is one problem that persists – resting stops. It is hard to conceive that along the hundreds of kilometers of an already operational highway, there is not one facility that provides a proper working facility with washrooms, restaurants and other necessities. This not only greatly overshadows the whole project, but also causes immense stress to travellers.

Being a frequent traveller by road between Bahawalpur and Islamabad, I have experienced moments where I wished I was still travelling by the older route. As even though it was not as well-built, it had all the necessary basic facilities along the route. Not having clean, hygienic washroom facilities places a great stress on everyone who uses the motorway, especially on travellers of the older age groups and ones with young children who are not very able to wait out the 230-km stretch of the newly built motorway. Another important aspect is that of restaurants, as travellers from farther away such as Bahawalpur and further areas of Sindh, have no means of carrying along food but look towards the rest stops to eat and drink. Not having such businesses and facilities along the route can cause people to be weary of using the motorway and with the growing tourism in Pakistan, may also deliver a negative image of the country.

Zoya Rao

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2019.

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