ISLAMABAD - Completion of Faisalabad-Khanewal portion of Faisalabad-Multan Motorway (M4) is most likely to face delay as almost half of development work is still pending on its Section-3 between Shorkot and Khanewal.
The timely completion of the said motorway project is quite necessary because it will improve Pakistan’s vital north-south road network, promote economic growth, create employment opportunities and ensure regional connectivity.
Two sections of the M-4 including 58 kilometres Faisalabad-Gojra and 45 kilometres Khanewal-Multan sections have already been completed and opened for traffic while work on the remaining two sections, Gojra-Shorkot and Shorkot-Khanewal is still underway.
A deadline of December 2018 is set for completion of these 127 kilometres portions between Gojra to Khanewal including Section-2, Gojra-Shorkot, and Section-3, Shorkot-Khanewal.
However, according to an update shared by Public Relations Directorate of National Highways Authority (NHA) with The Nation, almost half of the work is still left behind on Section-3, Shorkot-Khanewal, of the M4.
Only 48 percent work has been done on the mentioned section including 56 percent on 31 kilometres Section-3A, Shorkot-Dinpur, and 40 percent on 34 kilometres Section-3B, Dinpur-Khanewal, whereas the progress on Section-2, Gojra-Shorkot, is also not satisfactory.
Only three months are left behind in the given timeframe but only 77 percent work has been done on Gojra-Shorkot section so far.
Total cost of the project according to PC-I was Rs60.82 billion, which was initiated in 2010. An amount of Rs10 billion is allocated in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the financial year 2018-19 for the project.
Meanwhile, a national road safety action plan is being prepared by Ministry of Communication, which would be sent to the federal government after its completion for final approval.
Under directives of the present government, a comprehensive road safety action plan is being prepared under which all possible measures will be undertaken to ensure safe and sound journey on roads. This was stated by Federal Secretary Communications Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui during a meeting on the action plan at the ministry on Monday. Senior officers from Ministry of Communications, NHA, NTRC and all concerned departments participated in the meeting. Addressing the meeting, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said that Road Safety was an important issue, which needed immediate attention to ensure safe travelling on roads.
He said that to control road accidents, identification of causes of the accidents was an imperative. He stressed the need of close coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders. He said that control over road accidents was a challenge to relevant departments and it was satisfactory that a special plan was being prepared with consultation of all the stakeholders.
He said that major causes of accidents included speeding, bad condition of vehicles, ignorance to traffic rules and lack of proper training of the drivers. He said that identification of black spots, awareness campaign and control on overloading could prepare ground to make journey safe on roads.