Urban areas: Handing over of roads for upkeep, traffic management to concerned authorities proposed

ISLAMABAD: The National Transport Research Centre (NTRC) has recommended handing over roads in urban areas to the concerned authorities for maintenance and management of traffic, as the local authorities collect revenue, and the National Highways Authority (NHA) is unable to levy access fee.

Official documents revealed that the proposals were presented before the NHA Executive Board which was presided over by Capt (retd) Muhammad Khurram Agha, chairman, NHA.

The NTRC chief observed that reconstruction/upgrade of road sections in urban areas is not feasible for the NHA as the local authorities collect revenue, moreover, the NHA is unable to levy access fee. He suggested that the roads in urban areas may be handed over to the concerned authorities for maintenance and traffic management.

The Board considered dualization and rehabilitation of Karachi-Quetta-Chaman Road (N-25) and N-5 (Expansion of Lei and Swan Bridge from 2 to 4 Lanes) through direct contracting with state-owned entities.

The NHA Executive Board decided to annul the current procurement process of Package–III and IV where only the technical evaluation had been completed and allowed the NHA to carry out the procurement process under PPRA Rule-42 (f) for the construction of the following remaining stretches of the National Highway N-25 and N-5 (Expansion of Lei and Swan Bridge from 2-lanes to 4-lanes) through direct contracting with the state-owned entities viz NLC and the FWO.

The NHA Executive Board approved the award of agreement for consultancy services for “design review and construction supervision for rehabilitation and upgrade of 54.80 km long Awaran-Jhaljao Road” to the M/s NESPAK (Pvt) Ltd in JV with M/s Associated Consultancy Centre (Pvt) Ltd. and M/s ZAK Consulting Engineers (SMC-Pvt) Ltd, at evaluated/agreed cost of Rs112.154 million which includes salary cost, direct non-salary cost and all applicable taxes including GST @ 15 per cent.

The board considered the application of revised rates of the NOC cases where the NHA dues were deposited before in-principle approval of revision of rates.

The NHA Executive Board approved the following recommendations of the Audit Committee’s meeting held on April 12, 2022: a. All such cases where entire amount was demanded by NHA before the revision of rates as per the then applicable rates and were deposited by the applicants accordingly, be granted NOCs on the rates applicable on the date of deposit of dues (additional amount if any required after expiry of first 05x years advance rentals be recovered as per the applicable revised rates). b. In those cases, where either partial or full amount was deposited by the applicants after the revision of NHA rates, NOC be granted upon payment of revised applicable rates i.e. November 14, 2019.

The board referred back to Audit Committee to submit clear recommendations on the cases, where the applicant deposited the entire dues as per the then applicable rates on their own, without any formal letter from NHA asking for the dues.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022