Reply: As part of its National Road Strategy Network, the Road Development Authority (RDA) intends to implement the Motorway M4 project which aims to improve connectivity between the northern part of the island and the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport through a new link, while fostering economic growth in the eastern region and alleviating traffic congestion on the existing road network. The Motorway M4 project will consist of a dual carriageway of approximately 50 km, starting at Forbach on Motorway M2, passing through several villages, namely Poudre d’Or Hamlet, Plaines des Roches, Laventure, Pont Blanc, Bonne Mère, Queen Victoria, Clemencia, Olivia, and Ferney, including Beau Champ, Bel Air, Pont Lardier and Caroline, ending at Grand Bel Air. The project will be implemented in three phases, namely – (i) Phase 1– Forbach to Pont Blanc; (ii) Phase 2 – Pont Blanc to Bel Air, and (iii) Phase 3 – Bel Air to Grand Bel Air. In the first instance, the Road Development Authority (RDA) will consider the implementation of phases 1 and 2 of the proposed Motorway M4 project starting from Forbach to Bel Air on the B27 Road, over a length of 30 km. I am discussing with the Ministry of Finance to consider this project, or at least a segment of the project, as a priority in the next Financial Year. I wish to highlight that a feasibility study for the Motorway M4 project was conducted in August 2012 by Luxconsult (Mauritius) Ltd, in association with LEA Associates South Asia PVT Ltd and P D Naidoo & Associates. The study, which was initially undertaken for the then East Coast Trunk Road – Dual Carriageway from Bel Air to Forbach, now referred as the Motorway M4 project, concluded that the project is viable. Given that the eastern part of the island is currently connected to the airport and surrounding regions through arterial roads only, these roads pass through built-up areas and difficult terrains causing considerable time travel delays. Moreover, the development of smart cities and other infrastructural projects in the eastern region has increased the traffic load on the existing arterial road network. Considering that the traffic situation in the region has worsened over the years along the project corridor, the recommendations outlined in the feasibility report are maintained. As I mentioned earlier, the Motorway M4 will bypass several villages, including Beau Champ, Bel Air, Pont Lardier, and Caroline, and will cross the B23 Road near the New Flacq

125 Hospital, thereby improving access to the hospital. Upon completion of the project, the RDA will assess and consider the need for providing a direct link from the Motorway M4 to the hospital. NATIONAL PENSION APPEAL TRIBUNAL –APPEAL PROTOCOL REVIEW