ISLAMABAD (APP): The Karachi and Jamshoro toll plazas on the M-9 highway, which are the largest toll plazas in the area have become a concern for travelers due to long queues.
Talking to APP here on Monday, an official of the National Highway Authority (NHA) stated that the main reason for long queues was the lack of awareness among road users who enter M-Tag lanes instead of cash lanes and vice versa, despite prominent displays of lanes on the toll plazas for the convenience of the road commuters.
The official informed that the toll plazas were managed by a subsidiary of Frontier Works Organization (FWO) M/s SCORE, adding they had 24 lane booths, out of which six are at entry and 18 booths have been set for an exit.
He said that to improve traffic management various measures had been implemented including lane partitions with barriers that extend up to 100 metres from the toll plaza, dedicated M-Tag lanes for commuters with sufficient M-Tag balance, and low balance options. In addition, he said cash lanes were also separated at each toll plaza for facilitating commuters who prefer to pay in cash.
An Electronic Toll and Traffic Management (ETTM) system with M-Tag Facility (One Tag) was also available for M-Tag users/road commuters, which saves time and allows them to pass through the toll plaza in the minimum possible time, he added.
The NHA official urged road users to take advantage of the M-Tag facility to avoid long queues.