Govt announces ‘discount’ on toll tax for THESE vehicles
1. ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications, Abdul Aleem Khan, said that vehicles with M-Tag will receive a special discount as part of efforts to reduce congestion at toll plazas.
Summary of Senate Standing Committee on Communications Meeting:
1. **Promotion of M-Tag:**
- The minister announced steps to promote the use of M-Tag for toll collection.
2. **Road Network and Toll Plazas:**
- **Balochistan:**
- 42% of Pakistan’s road network is in Balochistan.
- Currently, there is not a single toll plaza in Balochistan, which hampers road repair and improvement plans.
- **Gilgit-Baltistan:**
- There are 900 kilometers of roads with only one toll plaza.
3. **Toll Tax Collection:**
- Last year, toll tax collected on highways and motorways was Rs. 60 billion.
- The toll tax collection is projected to increase to more than Rs. 100 billion.
4. **Vehicle Statistics:**
- There are 38 million vehicles in Pakistan.
- 70% of these vehicles are motorcycles.
- There are 2.7 million large vehicles, of which 70% are old.
5. **Motorway Police Deployment:**
- Communication Minister Abdul Aleem Khan informed that the National Highway Authority (NHA) will depute 2,500 motorway police officials on various highways of Balochistan.
- The purpose is to check over-speeding and ensure safe and secure roads for commuters.
Additional Context:
- **Meeting Chair:** The meeting was chaired by Pervez Rasheed.
- **Objective:** The initiatives discussed aim to improve the road infrastructure, enhance safety, and promote efficient toll collection mechanisms across Pakistan.
