ABBOTTABAD: The Shah Maqsood-Abbottabad section of Hazara Motorway was opened for public on Saturday.
According to details, Hazara Motorway section–I was initially opened till Shah Maqsood interchange and later it was operational up till Mansehra. However, the completion was delayed owing to the toll tax issue for incoming traffic from Islamabad and Peshawar, which had to exit on Shah Maqsood interchange and again enter on the motorway to continue the journey for Abbottabad and Mansehra by paying an extra Rs30 toll tax.
On public complaints, Hazara Commissioner Syed Zaheerul Islam had promised to resolve the issue and to open the motorway from both sides in January.
Contractors of the National Highway Authority (NHA) were receiving different toll taxes from incoming and outgoing traffic at Abbottabad interchange.
From Abbottabad to Islamabad, toll tax was being charged at Rs130 but from Islamabad to Abbottabad, the contractor was charging Rs160. People of Abbottabad and public transporters had demanded from NHA to address the issue and unify the toll tax charges.
