Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Ishaq Dar, has said that the government has a total allocation of Rs118.4 billion for road safety to boost the country’s road infrastructure in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for FY2023.
Ishaq Dar said this while addressing the closing ceremony of the ‘International Road Safety Conference for Parliamentarians’ here in a local hotel on Thursday, adding that the government is also familiar with the fact and included about 50 projects in the National Highway Authority (NHA) portfolio in PSDP program for CFY 2023 with a total allocation of Rs118.4 billion to provide a safe, secure, modern and efficient transportation system in the country.
34.2 Mln Vehicles On Roads
The finance minister said that till FY2022, the total vehicles on roads were estimated at around 34.2 million, which is increasing rapidly as the middle class is growing in the country.
He informed that the current road infrastructure in Pakistan comprised a total of 500,750km, including Expressways 428km, Highways 32,097km, Local Roads 373,525km, Metro Roads 146km, Motorways 2,816km and Primary and Secondary Roads 92,153km.
Ishaq Dar further said that the PML (N) Government, in its previous tenures, focused on the key infrastructure development projects, and M2 Lahore-Islamabad Motorway was initiated in the early 1990’s by the then PML(N) Government, which in its following tenures expanded phenomenally throughout the country and later became part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Government focuses on importance of Road Safety
The minister said that the present PDM coalition government, including PML-N, is again working on a fast track to increase the length and quality of the roads in the country to expedite the economic development in Pakistan.
He added that they were also actively pursuing effective enforcement of road safety laws to ensure accident-free traffic flow, he added.
Ishaq Dar said that we must introduce road safety measures with a goal to reduce road accidents and severe injuries by 50 percent by 2030, a target being established by the United Nations Global Action Plan on Road Safety.
The conference has been an excellent opportunity for parliamentarians to share their experiences, knowledge, and best practices, and I am sure that the valuable insights and discussions would be fruitful in shaping the future of road safety initiatives in our countries, he expressed.
International Conference
Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of continuing the efforts to improve road safety and said that now the world requires to focus more on the legislation of comprehensive traffic laws and rules and strictly ensuring their implementation.
Ishaq Dar also appreciated the efforts of the Presidents of the International Parliamentarians Congress (IPC) on the Road Safety and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Deputy Secretary Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States (TURKPA), and all the relevant members of the organizing committee for putting together such a healthy and fruitful event.
Ishaq Dar said that the tireless efforts of these bodies had created a platform for Parliamentarians from around the globe to come together and discuss this important issue of road safety.
He also extended his gratitude to the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Pakistan for their contribution to the two-day conference.
The minister hoped that as participants in the conference, their contribution had added a new perspective to the discussions, and their participation would help build strong joint action plans on Road Safety.
