- Communications secretary says NTRC to increase research for controlling road accidents
ISLAMABAD: Federal Secretary for Communications Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui on Monday inaugurated a plantation campaign at the National Road Transport Centre (NTRC) by planting a sapling of Araucaria Excelsa.
He nominated NTRC chief Sajjad Afzal Afridi as the focal person of the campaign of the ministry. After a comprehensive briefing about the mandate and performance and problems being faced by the NTRC, the secretary said that it was an important national organisation neglected in the past.
The meeting made the pledge that NTRC would be made a vibrant organisation in near future. The efforts of the NTRC chief and its staff for its revival were appreciated and it was sated that research and database for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was vital and NTRC will be linked with CPEC, Planning Division and Centre of Excellence and its relations with academia would be further strengthened to improve its performance.
EXPANDING RESEARCH: The meeting also decided that NTRC would further increase its research for controlling road accidents in the country so that the commuters’ safety could be ensured. The meeting also decided to utilise the NTRC for further improving performance of the National Highway Authority (NHA) and the National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP). It was also decided that the NTRC will expand its research in other modes of transportation including shipping and railways sectors.
The meeting gave approval to the proposal that a modern library would be established at the NTRC which would provide guidance to the students and researchers and it would be linked with the Higher Education Commission (HEC). The NTRC was asked to submit proposals to the ministry for getting maximum benefits for Pakistan from CPEC and other economic corridors and for improving relations with other international institutions related to this sector.
The National Transport Research Centre was set up in 1974 in the Planning Commission to provide research and development support for planning and appraisal of transport sector projects. In 1992, the NTRC was transferred to the Ministry of Communications is effectively functioning as the Research and Development Wing of the ministry.
