THE thoughtless changes introduced by the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) in relation to the M-Tag facility are causing problems at toll plazas across motorways. We recently encountered one such mayhem on M-2 Islamabad exit point on a Sunday evening while coming from Peshawar.

Three lanes were dedicated for M-Tag users without any attendant, while seven lanes with attendants were reserved for those paying in cash. Every time a non-M-Tag vehicle entered an M-Tag lane, there was a full-scale rumpus because such a vehicle could not pass the barrier by paying cash. The driver, therefore, was forced by the toll staff to reverse the vehicle and use the cash lane. Now, how can a car be reversed when there is a queue of cars waiting for it to move forward? The result? Chaos.

It is disappointing to note that the officials posted at toll plazas continue with their tea and gossip instead of sorting out the operational issues. At the policy level, we tend to copy the practices of developed countries without realising that we have plenty of manpower available to man such M-Tag booths as was being done in the past.

The high-ups of NHA and FWO should take notice of such mayhems at M-Tag booths on motorways across the country by restoring the alternative option of cash facility to foster a smooth flow of traffic.

Farrukh Panni
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2025