Lok Sabha Question No. 499 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-22
Subject: Symposium on Safer Roads
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Sudheer Gupta, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Prataprao  Jadhav, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Ravindra Kushawaha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 499 ANSWERED ON 22 ND  JULY, 2021

## SYMPOSIUM ON SAFER ROADS

## 499. SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI RAVINDRA KUSHWAHA:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## be pleased to state:

- (a)    whether a symposium on 'safer roads/black spots and discussion on plan for rectification of black spots during next one year'  was  organized  recently  and  if  so,  the  details  and  outcome thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has made any assessment to find out the percentage of road accidents occurred due to faulty designing and construction of National Highways (NHs) in the country;
- (c)
- if so, the details and outcome thereof;
- (d) whether there is any provision in the law to compound planner, designer and manufacturer of such faulty NHs and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to make such provisions in the law to check/prevent such incidents in future?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) Yes,  a  symposium  on  'Safer  Roads/Black  spots  and discussion on plan for rectification of black spots during next One Year' was organized by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in two  sessions  on  3rd  &  4th February  2021 at  Media  Centre  of Transport  Bhawan,  New  Delhi.  Around  nine  hundred  participants attended Symposium including nine distinguished panelist representing Government, Academic Institutions and consultants.

The symposium increased the awareness of the participants  on  proper  road  signage,  road  safety  audit,  safety ranking of the roads and design aspect of junctions / expressways / hill roads etc. Participants also became aware about importance of design  of  roads  proactively  in  such  a  way  that  accidents  do  not happen  due  to  road  engineering  features  and  also  on  timely remedial actions.

Accordingly,  remedial  measures  on  5803  identified  black spots also got expedited. So far about 90% of these black spots are attended, 2923 with permanent measures and 2244 with temporary measures.

- (b) and (c) Yes, Transport Research Wing (TRW) of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) publish annual report and analysis on Road Accidents. Ministry has decided to identify National Highway  locations  which  has  shown  frequent  accidents/loss  of human lives and defined these locations as a Black spots. Transport Research Wing (TRW) of MoRTH, receive/ collect accident data from various states, filter  it  and  provide  to  MoRTH  for  further  action  of accident cause study and taking appropriate engineering measures through its various executing agencies viz. NHAI / PWD-NH Wings/ NHIDCL for rectification.

The   data  of  2018  indicate  that  about  24940  accident  took place in a year on black spot locations which is about 18% of the total accidents (140843) on National Highways during 2018.  Based on  data  furnished  by  TRW,  action  on  5803  identified  black  spots started. So far about 90% of these black spots are attended, 2923 with permanent measures and 2244 with temporary measures.

(d)  &  (e) All  National  Highways  are  constructed  as  per  quality standards  specified  in  Ministry  of  Road  Transport  and  Highways/ Indian  Roads  Congress  (IRC)  specifications. To  ensure  that  the works are executed as per prescribed specifications and standards, Consultants  are  appointed  by  Ministry  and  its  agencies  for  day  to day  supervision  of  the  works  at  site.  Officials  of  Ministry/National Highways  Authority of India/National Highways  &Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited carries out quality checks of the works executed on random basis and deficiencies, if any, observed during  such  examination  /  inspection  are  brought  to  the  notice  of the Concessionaire  / Contractor for corrective  measures.  The Authority Engineer/ Independent Engineer along with the road safety experts  are  also  engaged  for  Audit  &  Quality  check  of  roads  to ensure  road  safety  &  its  construction  quality.  In  case  of  any defaults,  actions against  the  defaulting  agencies  are  taken  as per the provisions of agreement.

However,  in  the  Motor  Vehicle  (Amendment)  Act,  2019,  in Point No 84, Rule No. 198A, to check/prevent any faulty NHs or any incidents in future, the following law is mentioned as:

- '198A.  (1)  Any  designated  authority,  contractor,  consultant  or concessionaire responsible for the design or construction or maintenance of the safety standards of the road shall follow such design, construction and maintenance standards, as may be prescribed by the Central Government from time to time.
- (2) Where failure on the part of the designated authority, contractor, consultant  or  concessionaire  responsible  under  sub-section  (1)  to comply with standards for road design, construction and maintenance,  results  in death  or disability, such  authority or contractor or concessionaire shall be punishable with a fine which may extend to one lakh rupees and the same shall be paid to the Fund constituted under section 164B.

(3) For the purposes of sub-section (2), the court shall in particular have regard to the following matters, namely:-

(a) the characteristics of the road, and the nature and type of traffic  which  was  reasonably  expected  to  use  it  as  per  the design of road;

(b) the standard of maintenance norms applicable for a road of that character and use by such traffic; (c)  the  state  of  repair  in  which  road  users  would  have expected to find the road; (d) whether  the  designated  authority responsible for the maintenance of the road knew, or could reasonably have been expected to know, that the condition of the part of the road to which  the  action  relates  was  likely  to  cause  danger  to  the road users; (e) whether  the  designated  authority responsible for the maintenance  of  the  road  could  not  reasonably  have  been expected to  repair  that  part  of  the  road  before  the  cause  of action arose; (f) whether adequate warning notices through road signs, of its condition had been displayed; and (g)  such  other  matters  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Central Government.'

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