CHITRAL: The new notification by the Deputy Commissioner and District Police Officer of Upper Dir banning the passage of overloaded trucks through the Lowari tunnel has added to the miseries of Chitralis. Already hard pressed with highly inflated prices of almost everything, the new restriction would further increase the cost of commodities transported to Chitral from down country.

Strange as it is, very heavy and long trucks do not come to Chitral any way because of the narrow winding roads. Those which come cannot possibly be overloaded to cause damage to the road inside the tunnel. If a truck can carry full capacity load on the road up to the tunnel, why can’t it cross the tunnel with the same load? If it can’t, then the tunnel is substandard and the contractors should be questioned. 

A truck driver on condition of anonymity told ‘Chitral News’ that they were already paying bribes to NHA personnel at the tunnel on pretext of being ‘overloaded’. Now the rate of bribe will increase. The final impact of the corrupt practice is always on the consumer. .. CN report, 24 Nov 2021