Lifting of ban on heavy trucks through Lowari tunnel sought

CHITRAL: Ban on heavy trucks to transport goods to Chitral should be lifted to facilitate supply of essential commodities to the remote district, especially in the winter, says a religious, political and social figure.

About the ban on heavy trucks, Qari Jamal Abdul Nasir of Drosh said residents of Chitral had to bring their goods and edibles in heavy vehicles from across the country but the deputy commissioner of Upper Dir did not allow them to pass through the Lowari Tunnel.

He said that the residents then rented light vehicles to transport their goods and edibles to the respective areas via Lowari Tunnel, which cost them exorbitantly in the already prevailing price hike.

Qari Nasir alleged that the district administration of Upper Dir, owners of hotels and light vehicles and staff of the National Highway Authority were involved in the exploitation of people of Chitral, which should be stopped forthwith.

Why the ban?

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has banned the entry of trucks exceeding 30-ton load through the Lowari tunnel.

Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Hassan Abid said the NHA had approached the Upper Dir administration, asking it to impose limit on loads of goods transport on the Lowari Road.

He said as the vehicles passed through the Upper Dir district before entering the tunnel, so its administration was tasked with checking the weight of loaded trucks before their entry to the tunnel.

Mr Abid said during random checking of the loaded trucks near the tunnel the NHA found the trucks having loads of 65 to 70 tons, which exceeded the 28-ton capacity allowed inside the tunnel.–The News & Dawn

He said the overloaded trucks had also posed grave threat to the makeshift steel bridge in Broz Gol area.

The deputy commissioner said every road and suspension bridge over rivers and streams had a design capacity which should not be exceeded at any cost.