Legislators to pay toll tax

ISLAMABAD: The National Highways Authority (NHA) Friday announced that toll tax would be imposed on all parliamentarians and members of all provincial assemblies.

On the instructions of State Minister for Communications, Murad Saeed, the step was taken under the ambit of austerity plan of the federal government, a private news channel reported.

The NHA issued a notification stipulating to end the immunity of people’s representatives from not being charged the toll.

All senators, National Assembly and provincial assembly members will be liable to pay the toll, whereas the exemption for ambulances, fire brigades, high courts’ judges and Pakistan armed forces will remain unchanged, the notification read.

In late November, Murad Saeed unveiled a mobile app ‘Hamsafar’ aimed to facilitate commuters about traffic updates.

‘Hamsafar’, the mobile application, is jointly developed by the NHA and Motorway Police to apprise commuters about latest traffic updates.

“The PTI government is taking concrete steps to depoliticise and improve the working of state institutions for good governance and create ease for countrymen,” Murad Saeed said.

He, on September 19, in another revolutionary step, announced to launch the e-tendering and billing system across the country to ensure transparency and accountability within the ministry and its allied departments.