Motorway a pleasant travelling experience

[Naveed Yaseen]

The Islamabad-Lahore Motorway, which was sanctioned and built during Nawaz Sharif’s second term as prime minister, drew a lot of flak from nearly all concerned persons the day the plan was conceived.

There were many objections from opposition political parties and those whose lands were affected, while strong reservations were there about the funds to be spent on what most people thought was a useless luxury that the country could ill afford.

When the motorway was inaugurated in 1997, it was a triumphant moment for the PML-N government but after the initial euphoria had died down, there were few people who wanted to use this grand thoroughfare to get from Islamabad to Lahore and vice versa. For one, the toll tax was way too high and two, the drive itself was monotonous, with nothing but grey stretches of tarmac as far as the eye could see, not to say anything about the generally barren landscape on either side. Many drivers had accidents after falling asleep at the wheel and people were also afraid to travel at night, as they feared the consequences in case their vehicle broke down and they get stranded in the wilderness, so to say, since other vehicles either would not stop or were few and far between.

After many years, the motorway is now more frequented because it does make for hassle-free driving but best of all is the fact that the trees, which were planted along both sides of the road, are now maturing and the greenery provides a soothing sight to the travellers’ eyes. In some spots, the growth is sparse while in others, it is quite thick, but has broken the grey monotony of the road, providing a more calming sight in places where the land beyond is bare, brown and dusty.

The authorities concerned with the upkeep of the motorway now need to plant a few more trees during this monsoon, especially in the bare patches where none exist or are sparsely spaced. A few evergreens among the ones that shed their leaves in winter will ensure that the motorway is just as pleasant to travel on in the cold season as it is otherwise, while the flowering ones will add the much needed colour and make it look even better.

And for the next time, the authorities could take a page out of a Chinese book where, as highways are being built, trees are planted in neat rows all along the length and at least 50ft in depth on both sides, so when the road is ready, the trees are already quite tall and provide a pleasant view while journeying through a very barren landscape.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=187740