GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan government-owned Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) announced on Friday the termination of free travel passes for needy citizens, NATCO officials, senior citizens, and specially-abled persons. Additionally, the reserved seat allocation policy has been abolished.
“The free travel passes, which were introduced with the intention of assisting needy citizens, have unfortunately been misused, undermining the purpose of the initiative. Therefore, the issuance of free travel passes is hereby canceled with immediate effect,” stated a circular issued by NATCO General Manager Administration Abdul Hameed.
Under the new policy, two seats in every vehicle will now be reserved exclusively for emergent tours of officers and officials of NATCO and the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan. “These seats will be allocated only through the General Manager, Passenger Operations, upon the approval of the Managing Director or any other senior officer authorized by the Managing Director,” the circular clarified.
In scenarios where no emergent official tours are planned, the reserved seats will be available to specially-abled persons and senior citizens at a discounted rate of 50% of the ticket price. However, the allocation of up to five seats at discounted rates for students and the quota for army officials will remain unchanged until further notice.
The circular stressed that no NATCO management officer shall direct any station manager to allocate free seats under any circumstances. “This policy is effective immediately and must be strictly adhered to by all concerned departments and personnel. In case of violation, strict disciplinary action shall be initiated against those found responsible,” the circular warned.
NATCO was established in 1974 under the Companies Act of 1913, following special orders from the then prime minister of Pakistan. Its primary purpose was to provide subsidized road transport services to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, then known as the Northern Areas, and to develop a reliable road transport system in the region. Today, NATCO has expanded its services to include routes to Lahore, Karachi, and Kashgar, China.
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