KARACHI : The Association of Road Users of Pakistan (Arup) has
recommended that the role of National Highway Authority (NHA) should be
gradually shifted from the highways and roads development to a network operator
and service provider with greater customer focus.
The recommendations have been made in the draft of the final report
prepared by Arup after a series of workshops for the road stake holders
consultation programme of National Highway Authority and the World Bank in all
the four provinces of the country.
The draft was debated at the concluding session of the programme held in
Islamabad, which was presided over by the NHA chairman, Major General Tariq
Jawed. It was attended by Naved Qureshi of the World Bank and Khwaja Riffat
Zaheer, secretary-general of Arup.
The report has suggested establishing feedback mechanism to enable
regular interaction with road users and meaningful civil society participation
at all levels in all aspects of NHA work.
The NHA should place complaint registers at all its regional offices
where the road users would be able to provide constructive feedback on highway
operation areas needing improvement. A complaint register should also be
arranged on the Arup web site, the contents of which shall be conveyed to the
concerned department in NHA.
The Arup report calls for introducing standards for construction,
maintenance, contractors' pre-qualification criteria, pavement performance and
evaluation of performance of contractors, consultants and the government agency.
Under the 'free for service' concept the toll rate should be commensurate
with the road facility provided and the damage caused. Substantial portion of
the toll revenue collection should be used within the same area from where the
toll revenue is generated.
The report calls for urgent need for suitable amendment in the law to
facilitate immediate medical treatment to all road accident victims without
waiting for an FIR to be filed. Trauma centres should be set up in leading
hospitals to treat the road accident victims. Road safety education must be
included in all school syllabi and special road safety courses should be
designed for school teachers, the report said.
