ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) on Monday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Communications that it would shortly introduce an insurance scheme for commuters travelling at the Islamabad-Lahore section of Motorway shortly.
Briefing the Senate body, Inspector General National Highways and Motorway Police Muhammad Saleem Bhatti said that it would be optional for motorists to get the insurance ticket ranging from Rs 30 to 40 per person or per vehicle.
After depositing the amount, he said, the motorists would be eligible to get compensation in case of any fault developed in the insured vehicle or damage in accident while injured and dead would also get compensation.
He said that the Motorway Police were committed to ensure road safety by introducing various steps.
The IG said that Motorway police had also plan to establish an Emergency Response Center in Balochistan province to facilitate road-users.
Saleem Bhatti informed the committee that 250 vehicles of NH&MP were out of order and required immediate replacement.
He said that Drivers Licensing Authority had been established by the Motorway police where the course was offered at a total fee of Rs 4,500.
Presently, he said that 11,000 applications were being processed for issuing of driving licences.
SSP Motorway Nisar informed the committee that motorway police had established several training institutions throughout the country.
He said that response time of motorway police had been reduced to 10 minutes that was earlier 15 minutes while capacity building courses had also been introduced for the police.
He said that motorways were also taking strict action against overloading and around 14,822 motorists returned from motorways after getting fine-tickets.
He said that first aid training had also been given to the police deployed on motorways.
Secretary Ministry of Communications Shahid Ashraf Tarar informed the committee that the Motorway Police had been provided around 300 new vehicles while more would be given soon to improve its efficiency.
He said that Motorway police had been asked to construct its own building on the National Highways Authority’s (NHA) land.
Briefing the committee on National Highways Authority affairs, the Secretary said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be constructed as consensus reached in the All Parties Conference (APC).
He said that 90 percent work on Kalat-Quetta-Chaman road had been completed while remaining would be completed by June 2016.
He said that procurement process had been completed on Zhob-Mughar Kot road besides issuing letter of acceptance to concerned contractors, adding that work was likely to commence by March 2016.
Source: APP
