Govt mulls alternative route for Salt Range -DAWN

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September 2, 2005	Friday	Rajab 27, 1426

Govt mulls alternative route for Salt Range

By Our Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: The government is considering an alternative route for the motorway in the Salt Range area to minimise fatal accidents in future. Federal Minister for Communications Mohammad Shamim Siddiqui said this at an awards distribution ceremony held at the National Highway and Motorway Police Headquarters here on Thursday.

The minister said Salt Range was one of the most dangerous paths on the motorway due to its height and turns and in this regard the government was conducting a survey to select a new and safe alternative route.

Mr Siddiqi said the project would be started if the government provided funds for the project. The motorway in the Salt Range area is being repaired, as it was damaged due to land sliding, he added.

The motorway in the Salt Range area spans 10 kilometres and starts from point 232 and ends at point 242. The most lethal point is 229, where about 50 fatal accidents have so far occurred since its inauguration. Points 224 and 230 are also included in most dangerous points.

The minister said during a cabinet meeting it was decided that all weigh stations of the National Highways and Motorway would soon be placed under the administrative control of the police. The step was taken after receiving numerous complaints against the stations and the staff deputed there, the minister said, adding that the labour and machinery would be provided by the government.

In this regard a four-member ministerial committee has been constituted. The committee members are Javaid Ashraf Qazi, Sikandar Hayat Bosan, Shamim Hyder and Shamim Siddiqui.

Mr Siddiqui said Makran Coastal Highway would contribute immensely towards the economic development of the country and the motorway police were being deployed on it on the directives of the president and the prime minister. Earlier, IGP Ahmed Naeem said some unpleasant incidents had occurred on the motorway, however, the police succeeded to save the life and valuables of the passengers.