Transport and Communication Report

8/8/2019 Transport and Communication Report

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Transport and communication in PakistanIt is observed that transport and communication system in Pakistan is showing a little progress.Therefore, it is necessary to give more concentration on this system. New scientific and modernchanges should be introduced to enhance the country's economy.

Transport and Communication network is among the most important of basic infrastructures. Thedevelopment of country's economy is largely dependent on its efficiency. At the time of independence,Pakistan had inherited a limited network. There were only 50,367 km of roads, 8.553 km of rail track,seven shipping vessels having 59,414 dead-weight ton capacity, only 21,209 registered vehicles onthe roads, 3,036 post off ices, seven telegraph off ices (all located in the urban areas). There wereonly 12,436 telephones and 45,426 radio sets and no air transport facilities were available for common use. The network has since been vastly expanded and improved but still remains deficient infully meeting the present requirements.

Roads Network of Pakistan:The public sector is responsible for the construction of inter-city and farm-to-market roads in Pakistan,whereas intra-city roads are mostly the responsibility of local authorities. Though, both public andprivate sectors are operating, the major share lies with the public sector. As of June 1993, the total

mileage of roads was 188,332 km including 92,592 km of low type and 95,740 km of high type roads.The Grand Trunk (GT) Road which runs from Peshawar to Karachi and the Super Highway whichruns from Karachito Hyderabad has the highest traffic density.

National Highway Authority (NHA)The National Highway Board was recognised and converted into the National Highway authority for speedy development and rehabilitation of roads. The National Highway Council was also establishedto approve the plans and projects prepared by National Highway Authority. A number of importantprojects were undertaken for implementation after the departure of Nawaz government. The PPPgovernment decided to take over some important projects.

National Highways, Roads and Bridges:The National Highway network comprises 6,587 km of road which is hardly four per cent of total

length (1 77,000 km) of roads in Pakistan. However, traffic-wise, these highways carry over 60 per cent of the country's traffic. A number of projects and programmes in this sector are under implementation. Of these major ones are briefly discussed below:

* Dualisation of N-5 (Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar-Torkham): Dualisation of N-5 in two sections MianChannu-Sahiwal (82 km) and Nooriabad-hyderabad Section (67 km) was completed during theprevious fiscal year. Four major bridges between Gujranwala and Kharian were also completed.

* Rehabilitation of Existing Highway: Overlay work on Rawalpindi-Gujranwala Section (217 km) wascompleted by December 1994. Rehabilitation of remaining length is planned under Fifth IBRD project.

* Lahore Bypass: An 18 km long bypass is under construction near Lahore. Project includes a six-lanebridge over the Ravi. The project was estimated to be completed by December of last year but due tosome improper delays it has not completed yet.

* Indus Highway: Work on Peshawar-Karappa (54km) is in advance stage and is expected to becompleted during current fiscal year. Work on eight more contracts of total length 634 km length isgoing under completion and is expected to be completed during 1995-96. Phase-III of Indus Highway,length 422 km, will be taken up after signing of loan agreement for Phase-III.

* Karachi-Khuzdar-Quena-Chamman Highway (N-25): Work on Wad-Sorab Section (160 km) isprogressing smoothly. Forty (40) km roads has been completed. The scheduled date for completionwas December 1994 but its completion was estimated again by May 1995.

* Quetta-Nokkundi-Taftan Highway(N-40): Work on the contract IVC 44 of Nokkundi-Taftan Sectionwas expected to be completed by August 1994 but it was completed in October 1994. Work on


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contract IVA and IVB of Nokkundi-Taftan (80km) was completed in 1992-93. Work on two contractsawarded during 1992-93 in Dalbandin-Nokkundi Section has started.

* Hassanabdal-Abbottabad-Gilgit-Khunjerab Highway (N-35): Overlay work between Hassanabdaland Abbottabad (70km) and Abbottabad-Mansehra (27km) has been completed. This highwayrequires improvement from Mansehra up to Khunjerab pass for the transit traffic of Central AsianStates and China.

* Pakistan Motorway: Work on Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (335km) is progressing satisfactorilyand it is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

* Gwadar-Ratodero and Makran Coastal Road: The feasibility reports on both projects and designwork was completed by July 1994 and these projects will start in a short time.

* Other Projects: The Chiniot Bridge is under construction and located on Faisalabad-Sargodha Road.The cost of the project is Rs.3300 million and it will be completed during 1995-96.

Meanwhile, during the current PPP government the following projects were completed. It should beremembered that these projects were planned and started during the last tenure of PPP governmentin 1988-90:

* Overhead Bridge at Wazirabad at the cost of Rs.50 million,

* Tall-Parachinar Project was completed at the expected cost of Rs.525 million,* Additional Carriageway N-5 Mian Channu-Sahiwal Section (82 km),

* Additional Carriageway N-5 Nooriabad-Hyderabad Section (67 km),

* Bridge over river Chenab near Gujrat (N-5),

* Bridge over upper Chenab Canal (N-5)

* Bridge over Pulkhu Nullah (N-5),

* Bridge over Bhimber Nullah (N-5),

* Overlay Hassanabdal-Abbottabad Road 70 km,

* Nokkundi-Taftan contract IVC 44 km (N-40).

Pakistan Railways:Pakistan Railways network comprises 8,775 route kilometres, 839 stations and 49 train halts.Pakistan Railways major assets include 533 diesel, 29 electric, 104 steam locomotives, 2,276passenger coaches and 28,500 freight wagons. However, efforts are being made to modernise theequipment and rehabilitate overaged assets. A sum of Rs. 2378.5 million was approved by thegovernment during the last fiscal year for carrying out the Railway development programme. Againstthis allocation the following works were carried out:

* Railway Renewal of 72 km,

* Sleeper Renewal of 87 km,

* Manufacture of 6 ACC passenger carriages,

* Rehabilitation of 135 traction motors,

* Re-commissioning of 3 diesel electric locomotives and

* Fitment of roller bearing to 2500 freight wagons and production of five diesel locomotives in LocoFactory, Risalpur.


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In addition to these, the work of renovation of passenger carriages started in 1993 was completedduring current fiscal year. The Reservation Offices at Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Hyderabadwere computerised in addition to Lahore and Karachi were computerised previous year. Close CircuitTelevision. Comparative performance of Pakistan Railways during the last three f iscal years is givenas follows:

Gross Earnings Rs. million 8236 9031 5433

has been introduced at major stations and in the popular trains on the main line.

Air Transport: PIA Corporation (a public sector airways) and a number of private sector companies were licensed tooperate under the privatisation policy are in the field to meet the growing air traffic. Three privatesector airlines namely, Aero-Asia, Bhoja and Shaheen Airline are in operation.

* Pakistan international Airline (PIA): PIA's fleet as on 31 st March, 1994 consisted of 47 aircraft of thefollowing description:

Type of Aircraft Number

of Aircraft

Boeing 747 Airbus A300-B4 Airbus A310-300 Boeing 707 Freighter 2 Boeing 737-300 7 Fokker F-2714 Twin Otter 2 Total: 47

In these aircraft two Airbuses of A300-B4 are on lease and one Boeing 737-300 is VVIP aircraft.

PIA's network covers 49 international and 36 domestic stations. The airline operates daily services toUSA-3 flights per week with Boeing 747 combi, 2 flights per week with Boeing 747 and 2 flights per week with A310 aircraft. PIA introduced A310-300 services on the trans-Atlantic route for the firsttime. The airline network in the Far-East covers Bangkok, Colombo, Male, Kuala Lumpur, Manila,Singapore, Jakarta, Beijing and Tokyo. PIA operates 20 flights per week to Saudi Arabia with Boeing

747 and Airbus A300 aircraft. There are ten flights to Jeddah, four to Riyadh and six to Dhahran. About 49 flights per week are being operated to points in the Gulf. Regional services cover Bombay,Delhi, Dhaka and Kathmandu with a total of 16 frequencies per week. From 16th August, 1993 PIAintroduced a number of concessional fares on the domestic network. With a view to encouragingdomestic tourism, PIA introduced family fares and "Safarri" in the economy class of its domestic trunkroute flights. Night coach facilities were made available on additional sectors.

In order to strengthen trade, cultural and historical relations between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, PIAintroduced a weekly service to Almaty from 20th November, 1993. Jakarta, which had earlier beenoperated during 1972-73, was reintroduced on the PIA network with one weekly A310 service viaSingapore from 4th November, 1993.

PIA introduced a twice weekly Twin Otter service to Parachanar from December 23, 1993. The

Mashed flight was reinstated from 27th March, 1994 with Boeing 737 aircraft on the Lahore-Quetta-Mashhad-Quetta-Karachi routing.

In order to facilitate Pakistan expatriates living in Fujairah and its surrounding areas. PIA introduced anew flight from Karachi to Fujairah on February 5, 1994. A new flight was also introduced to Al-Ainfrom Peshawar with effect from 31st March, 1994.

Estimated Financial Results: PIA earned revenues of Rs. 11,813 million during July-December 1993as compared to Rs. 10,981 million during the corresponding period last year, showing an increase of 7.6 per cent. The expenditure during the period was Rs. 11,407 million.


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Port and Shipping: Currently there are two seaports in the country, and Port Qasim. The port of Karachi is the premier port of Pakistan handling nearly 95 per cent of the cargo, dry and liquid of thecountry, Port Qasim the first multi-purpose and industrial port and the second deep seaport of Pakistan is situated 50 km southeast of Karachi Port Qasim was built to provide alternate portfacilities and for handling raw-material imports of steel mills.

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC): PNSC owned 20 vessels with a dead weight of

326,317 tons. The corporation operated its liner services from Pakistan to USA/Canada/UK/Continent/Middle East/Gulf and Far-East. Besides the liner services, PNSC handled shipments of Iron-Ore/Coal,etc., through chartered vessels. The gross revenue earnings of the corporation up to 31st December,1993 were Rs. 1,412 million as compared to Rs. 1,568 million over the same period last year

The decision regarding privatisation of PNSC is being re-examined. In the meantime for therevitalisation of PNSC proposals the acquisition of following ships is under process:

Multiple general cargo ships 2 Container ships 3 Bulk carriers 2 Edible oil tanker 1

Communications Network

Postal Services: During 1993-94 Pakistan Postal Services Corporation would earn Rs. 1730 millionfrom its various services as compared to Rs. 1448.4 million over the last year showing an increase of 19.4 per cent. The detail is given in the following table:

Remittance Services: During the period from July 1993 to December 1993 Pakistan Post Office wasinstrumental in remitting foreign exchange to the country through Money Orders as under:

Money Number Orders (Amounts)

353 42,803.83 (Sterling) 2491 715,881.24 (US$) 724 5,887,185.95 (Pak Rs.)

Exchange of Mail: Exchange of mail with all the countries of the world except Israelis carried out inaccordance with the Universal Postal Union regulations.

Pakistan Post Off ice earned a net amount of foreign exchange of Rs. 9.784 million during July 1993to December 1993.

* Savings: Gross investment in Post Office Savings Accounts, Special Savings Accounts, DefenceSavings Certificates, Special Savings certificate (Regd). Special Savings Certificates (Bearer) for theperiod from July 1993 to December 1993 is Rs. 4557 million.

* Postal Life Insurance: Up to December 1993 Postal Life Insurance had attained business of Rs.1542.4 million as sum assured, which is more than expected in six months out of total target of Rs.3066.0 million for the current financial year.

* Philately: Pakistan Postal Services Corporation issued (11) commemorative postage stamps onnational and international occasions and sale of commemorative postage stamps to the philatelistsyielded Rs. 2.16 million in local currency and foreign exchange in Pakistan currency of Rs. 125thousand.

* Special Mail Services: Special Mail Services are Airexpress, UMS, Local Packet and ParcelServices (LES), Fax Mail, Urgent Money Order Services (UMOS), Fax Money Order Services (FMOS)

and Sarrie Day Window Delivery (SDWB).* Special Financial Services: These services comprising the postal draft service, saving bank mobileaccount service and the postal giro service are available in 67 general post offices.

* Telecommunication Network: The telecommunication network has made significantprogress. The cumulative number of telephones in the country had increased to 1,667,548 up toMarch 1994 from 60,116 in 1959-60. ft is expected that 400,000 new telephones would be installed inthe country. The corporation earned a revenue of Rs.15,345.0 million during July-March l993-94 ascompared to Rs.12,086.1 million during the corresponding period last year.


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* Private sector participation: At present Paktel and Pakcom are providing mobile telephone service inKarachi, Quetta, Lahore and Islamabad (from where Peshawar is also being covered). The thirdoperator (Pakistan Mobile Cellular) has yet to join. At present nearly 25,000 mobile subscribers haveaccess to PTC. The expansion of the existing Optical Fibre Link is in progress. It is observed thattransport and communication system in Pakistan is showing a little progress. Therefore, it isnecessary to give more concentration on this system. New scientific and modern changes should beintroduced to enhance the country's economy.

Actual Collection

Progressive

upto the

Name of Nature of Period

Department Receipts Dec. 1993

Pakistan Steel (i) Postage

Services Corp. Receipts 437,163

(ii) Misc. Receipts 43,026

(iii) Agency Receipts 230,000

Total Gross Receipts: 710.79

Budget Estimate

Progressive

Total upto the

Name of for the Period

Department Year Dec. 1993

Pakistan Steel 1105.00 525.500

Services Corp. 165.000 82.500

460.000 230.000

Total Gross Receipts: 1730.000 865.000

Documents

Transport and Communication Report