THE newly-constructed 136-km Karachi-Hyderabad M-9 motorway with three lanes on either side is an important highway, for it connects the port city to Hyderabad and north of Pakistan.

Over 25,000 vehicles are estimated to use this motorway every day with an annual growth of five per cent. Overall, 60 per cent of the traffic comprises heavy-duty vehicles.

An origin-destination study for determining the future traffic pattern indicates that only three lanes on each side will not meet the future needs of a highway with such a traffic load. Apart from being short of lanes, the construction standard of the motorway is also not on par with either M-2 or M-5 motorways.

The Karachi-Hyderabad motorway has a number of flaws. It has uneven surface, while service areas along the route are not maintained properly.

Also, there are no inlets and exits for the local traffic to join at any point.

The absence of proper and complete fence allows pedestrians to jaywalk, which is dangerous. The highway is not marked with reflectors, with only basic paint having been used for marking lanes.

In short, the highway fails to meet the standards of a motorway, yet the toll charges are that of a motorway. The National Highway Authority should either resolve these problems or reduce the toll charges as per the highway rates.

Aftab Jamali
Larkana

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2020