The Northern Areas Transport Corporation was established in 1974 under the companies Act. 1913 with the special orders of the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, to provide road transport service to the people of Northern Areas on subsidized rates and established road transport system in the Northern Areas. The NATCO should link the Northern Areas by road with the rest of the country and be the flag bearer of Government of Pakistan on KKH.
It was purely a social welfare Organization and the main objective was to remove deprivation of the people of Northern Areas, who were neglected since independence of Pakistan. With the pace of time infrastructure specially road communications have been improved with the efforts of Government of Pakistan and the management of NATCO has adopted new measures to operate passenger and cargo service on viable economical routes on commercial consideration, so that the burden of funding by the Government could be reduced.
Although the fate of such Govt. organization are link with the general policies of the Government of Pakistan, but it is the vision of the management that by year 2010, NATCO should be the best Passenger transport organization not only in the Northern Areas but all over Pakistan, linking the big cities with the Northern Areas though modern comfortable passenger coaches and provide best transport opportunities to domestic and international tourists, so that tourism to the Northern Areas could be flourished in-accordance with the aspiration of the members of the Standing Committee of the National Assemble, the Northern Areas administration and people of the area.
It is right of every citizens to have freedom of choices, according to his abilities and wisdom, but to accept and stay within his own resources. Achievements of the objectives and honorable exit remain a problem of every one in NAs. It might be due to high expectations or because of our national character. The mission is to run NATCO partially as a social organization by providing transport services to the poor people living in the far-flung area and partially on commercial consideration. With the improvement of the roads to the valleys, it was expected that the private transport operators, will now operate the uneconomical routes and the No of NATCO routes will be reduced.
Contrary to our expectation, the uneconomical routes have been increased. The private transport services are either non sustainable or charging exorbitant rates from the poor people living in the far-flung valleys. The people of the areas are therefore approaching the Deputy. Commissioners and Chief Secretary NAs to resolve their problems. Hence NATCO constrained to operate on all such uneconomical route. Public /private partnership and joint venture to operate NATCO on modern Lines so that the partner could take due interest in the affairs of the organization. Similar case is with the student concession tickets traveling to and with in the NAs. Rather then to reduce the number of students, it is increasing day by day.
In spite of the facts that GOP has established KIU in Gilgit, but even then the number of student have been increased. The GOP has provided 125 trucks to NATCO to operate for the carriage of civil supply wheat and other essential commodities. It was the correct vision and mission of the GOP that due to their wright decision, NAs have not sustained food crises during the past six months like other areas of Pakistan. NATCO has the honor to transport the stock of wheat to the NAs in safe and transparent manner without any pilferage. NATCO the only state run transport organization will develop one of the best Passenger and Cargo services equipt with modern comfortable buses and with containerized trucks. Professional training shall be provided to the existing staffs and could also induct new and professional staff so that NATCO could be run on extremely modern lines.