ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms has launched a two-year project to formulate the National Transport Policy, seeking to create a safe, efficient and sustainable transport system to realize Pakistan’s Vision 2025.
“Pakistan envisages a comprehensive national transport policy and master plan that will help cut travel time and costs”, an official in the ministry told the state-run news agency in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The official said that the National Transport Policy, which would cover railways, roads, ports and shipping, aviation, and logistics services, would also boost the Country’s economic outlook by positioning Pakistan as a regional hub for trade and business.
The ministry official said that the government of the United Kingdom through its Department for International Development (DFID) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) were funding this project under its Pakistan Economic Corridors Programme (PECP).
The National Transport Policy complements co-financing by DFID and ADB for roads in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, he added.
The official said that DFID and ADB were also supporting Sindh and Punjab to develop more commercially viable public private partnerships so more private finance is available to meet Pakistan’s infrastructure needs.
The ministry official said that at the project inception workshop held in Islamabad the other day, Head of DFID Pakistan Joanna Reid and Country Director of the ADB Werner E. Liepach joined Minister of Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal to underscore the importance of an effective transport policy that will facilitate more local and regional trade, create jobs and boost economic growth.
The transport policy, the official added would formulate a holistic vision and prioritized action plan to upgrade Pakistan’s transport sector offering long term opportunities for all transport modes.
The official said that improvement of road safety programs, road asset management systems, scaling up resources for better road design and maintenance, and supporting multi-modal transport to facilitate trade within Pakistan and with its neighboring countries, are other key targets of the initiative.
