Islamabad: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has implemented a 10% increase in toll tax on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2), effective from August 20, 2024. This adjustment is part of a broader initiative under the “Overlay and Modernisation of the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2)” project.

According to Zameen.Com, the toll increase aligns with a 20-year concession agreement initiated in 2014 between the NHA and MS/More, a subsidiary of the Frontier Works Organization. This agreement stipulates an annual 10% toll increase until 2026, followed by a 7% increase annually until 2034 as part of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model for infrastructure development.

The revision impacts various vehicle categories, with tolls for cars, wagons, coasters, buses, trucks, and trailers all seeing increases ranging from Rs. 110 to Rs. 600. The NHA has also applied similar increases across other major highways and motorways, including the Kohat Tunnel (N-55), Islamabad-Peshawar (M-1), and Lahore-Abdul Hakeem (M-3) among others, which have been in effect since July 1, 2024.

This toll hike comes amid concerns regarding safety and service quality on the M2, highlighted by recent tragic incidents and ongoing issues such as lack of medical facilities and reports of fraudulent activities at various interchanges. These issues have spurred calls for urgent improvements to ensure the safety and reliability of one of Pakistan’s busiest motorways.