National Logistics Cell (NLC) has launched a comprehensive recovery service of light and heavy vehicles along the entire length of GT Road with an aim to enhance the efficiency and performance of the logistics industry of Pakistan and facilitate general commuters.
Named as ‘NLC Dost Recovery’, the service will be available 24/7 round the year and is the first of its kind along GT Road which will alleviate the hardships being faced by commuters in general and transporters in particular in event of mishaps and breakdowns.
Latest machinery and equipment has been placed at important, equidistant facilities astride GT Road to help motorists and truckers in the timely recovery of light and heavy vehicles.
A dedicated UAN helpline – 042111321321 -has been established for prompt response to salvage and rescue the disabled /damaged vehicles.
The service is part of the overall concept of Drivers Emergency and Rest Areas (DERAs) which is planned to be launched in the near future. NLC Trucking & Bus Services (NTBS), a subsidiary of NLC, will establish International Standard Service Areas having integrated facilities along the GT Road which will later be extended to Makran Coastal Highway, Karakoram Highway, Indus Highway, Quetta-Gwadar Route, Quetta-Taftan Route and Western China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Routes.
The proposed DERAs of international standard will provide latest facilities including multipurpose parking, Masjids, fuel stations, eateries, warehouses, shopping mart, workshops, ambulance, first-aid station, washrooms and other amenities etc. as envisaged in the National Trucking Policy. DERAs assume vital importance as a monumental surge in heavy vehicular traffic is being anticipated after operationalization of the game-changing CPEC. NLC, along with other stakeholders, has devised comprehensive plans to meet the demands of CPEC logistics.
Recovery constitutes an integral plank of the logistics system, particularly in long haulage. Breakdowns and mishaps of heavy vehicles are a common sight on GT Roads that not only hinder the flow of traffic on highways but also cause financial losses to the traders and transporters due to long delays in the delivery of goods. The transporters miss shipment deadlines which inevitably affects the supply chain. A robust recovery service will help large and small fleet operators to minimize losses caused by mechanical failures.
The Status
All stakeholders associated with the transport industry of the country will hugely benefit from the service as presently, there is no organized recovery facility along the GT Road. The idea of initiating the service has received an overwhelming response from the transporters and the general public.
It is worth mentioning here that Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) have been reached with transport associations, bus services, transport departments of organizations, private vehicle recovery owners and oil marketing companies for the provision of recovery services on GT Road.
