Lok Sabha Question No. 473 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-03
Subject: Maintenance of National Highways
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar

## be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  focus  on  the  quality  and maintenance  of  National  Highways  (NHs)  in  2025  after  a  record construction of 56,700 km of NHs during the last ten years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  measures  that  are  being  taken  to  ensure  that  the  newly constructed  NHs  meet  high-quality  standards  and  are  properly maintained;
- (c) the manner in which the Government would plan to improve the
- safety and travel experience for NH users in 2025;
- (d) the role that the Government plays in the ongoing operation and maintenance of NHs; and
- (e)  the  steps  being  taken  to  ensure  that  the  recent  expansion  of NHs from 0.91 lakh km to 1.46 lakh km is effectively managed and maintained for long-term sustainability?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

(a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 473 ANSWERED ON 03 RD  APRIL, 2025

## MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

*473.   SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) to (e) OF LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  473  ANSWERED  ON  03.04.2025 ASKED BY SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

(a) and (b) The Government  has  prioritized  the  maintenance  of existing  National  Highway  (NH)  network  and  inter-alia  evolved  a mechanism  to  ensure  Maintenance  and  Repair  (M&R)  of  all  NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency.

NHs projects are executed on mainly three modes i.e. (i) Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), (ii) Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and (iii) Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC). Concession period  for  projects  including  maintenance  on  Build  Operate  and Transfer (BOT) is 15 to 20 years and on Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) is generally 15 years. Concessionaire is responsible for maintenance of the respective NHs stretches within the concession period of the project. Only in case of EPC projects, Defect Liability period (DLP) is 5 years for the bituminous pavement works and 10 years for concrete pavement works.

For Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) and InvIT projects, concession period  including  maintenance  is  for  20  to  30  years.  Concession period  for  Projects  on  Operate,  Maintain  and  Transfer  (OMT)  is generally 9 years.

For all remaining sections of NHs stretches where DLP period has ended or is not under any concession period of BOT/HAM/TOT/InvIT project, Government has taken a policy decision  to  undertake  maintenance  works  through  Performance Based  Maintenance  Contract  (PBMC)  or  Short  Term  Maintenance Contract (STMC). While STMC works are generally undertaken for a contract  period  of  1-2  year,  PBMC  works  are  undertaken  for  a contract period of about 5-7 years. During the current Financial Year 2024-25,  Government  has  approved  STMC  works  in  17,884  km length costing Rs.2,842 Crore and PBMC works in 6,118 km length costing Rs.6,757 Crore.

Further,  all  efforts  are  made  to  ensure  that  the  NHs  are constructed  as  per  quality  standards  specified  by  Government/ Indian  Roads  Congress  (IRC)  specifications  and  codes.  To  ensure the construction quality, Consultants (Authority's Engineer / Independent Engineer) are appointed by the executing agencies for day  to  day  supervision  of  the  works  at  site.  Officials  of executing agencies  as  well  as  Independent  Third-Party  Auditors  undertake inspections from time to time and ensure adherence of conformity of quality of materials used in construction as well as the work done by the Concessionaire / Contractor with stipulated requirements. Deficiencies, if any, observed during such examination / supervision are brought to the notice of the Concessionaires  /  Contractors  for  taking  up  necessary  corrective measures.

In  addition,  Government  has  also  taken  up  the  random  nondestructive  quality  check  on  NHs  through  Mobile  Quality  Control Van on Pilot basis in four States.

- (c)      Road safety engineering measures / works on NHs, including rectification of blackspots, are undertaken mainly as part of scope of  development  /  maintenance  works  on  NHs  or  as  standalone projects in certain cases. Following are some important road safety initiatives taken by the Government:-
- i. For  making  the  NHs  black  spot  free,  Government  has  taken steps for immediate short-term measures like road markings, signages,  crash  barriers,  road  studs,  delineators,  closure  of unauthorized median openings, traffic calming measures, etc. at the accident black spots. Long-term measures like improvement of road geometrics, junction improvements, spot widening of carriageway, construction of underpasses/overpasses, etc. are taken for permanent rectification  of  black  spots.  Out  of  total  13,795  black  spots identified  on  the  NHs  upto  2021-22,  short-term  rectification measures  have  been  completed  on  11,515  black  spots  and permanent  rectification  measures  have  been  completed  on 5,036 black spots.
- ii. Electronic Detailed Accident Report System has been launched through  which  accident  spots  on  NHs  are  noticed immediately.  Accordingly  such  spots  are  visited  immediately by  field  officers  and  appropriate  short  term  measures  are taken.
- In order to reduce the fatality of accident victims, Government has  planned  pan  India  launch  of  the  Scheme  for  Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims, as per the legal mandate of  Section  162  of  Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988.  The  Scheme  is aimed  at  strengthening  the  emergency  care  ecosystem  to provide timely treatment to road accident victims and prevent
- iii. loss of precious lives.
- iv. The Scheme for Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims is presently implemented on pilot basis across 6 States / Union Territories (UTs), namely, Chandigarh, Assam, Punjab, Uttarakhand,  Haryana  and  Puducherry  for  acclimatization  of field officials.
- v. Further, Government has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to  address  the  issue  of  road  safety  based  on  Education, Engineering  (both  of  roads  and  vehicles),  Enforcement  and Emergency Care. Details of various initiatives taken to address road safety issues are at Annexure.

Further,  to  improve  travel  experience  for  NHs  users,  the Government envisions development of Wayside Amenities (WSAs) at approximate  intervals  of  40-60  km  along  NHs.  Government  in Ministry  of  Road  Transport  &  Highways  has  planned  to  award around 700+ WSAs. Total 393 WSAs have been awarded so far, out of which 94 are operational. Out of the 94 operational WSAs, 59 are equipped  with  trucker  facilities  and  50  with  Electric  Vehicle  (EV) Charging stations. Additionally, 100 sites have been allocated to Oil Marketing Companies  (OMCs) for the development of trucker facilities.

- (d) and (e) Repair of identified defects / issues in the road condition as well as other maintenance / repair works are completed by the

Contractor  /  Concessionaire  within  the  stipulated  timeline  as  per provisions  of  the  Contract.  Compliance  is  ensured  through  regular field  reports  and  penalty  provisions  incorporated  in  the  Contract documents for action against defaulting Contractor / Concessionaire.  In  addition,  field  officers  have  been  directed  to strictly  ensure  the  maintenance  and  safety  compliance  during operation and maintenance period of the contract.

Government encourages the adoption of innovative technologies or methods to enhance the durability and reduce the maintenance  requirements  of  NHs  (depending  upon  factors  like rainfall,  terrain  type,  soil  category  etc.).  Such   technologies  or methods include stabilization of subgrade, geosynthetic reinforced layer(s) in sub-base / base, concrete roads / whitetopping, perpetual pavement, High performance bituminous mixes, modified bitumen / bituminous  mixes,  Fiber  Reinforced  Concrete,  Cement  Grouted Bituminous  Mixes,  etc.  Automated  and  Intelligent  Machine-Aided Construction has been adopted which ensures cloud based maintenance records and quality work.

Road  condition  assessment  is  carried  out  through  Network Survey  Vehicle  (NSV)  for  the  NHs  stretches  before  start  of  work, before  issue  of  completion  certificate  and  thereafter  at  regular intervals  of  six  months  after  completion  of  the  work,  thereby enabling  quality  assessment  of  NHs  at  regular  intervals  for  (i) ensuring  the  maintenance  during  Concession  period  /  DLP  and  (ii) prioritizing  maintenance  requirements  to  maintain  NHs  in  traffic worthy condition.

Further,  app  based  monitoring  through  National  Highways Authority  of  India  (NHAI)  One  /  Tatpar  App  facilitates,  highway project  management  by  Field  officers  /  Engineers  /  Contractors  / Concessionaires  directly  from  onsite,  through  digital  reporting  of daily  and  monthly  defects,  submission  of  geo-tagged  and  timestamped photos for inspections and digital uploading of test results.

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 473 ANSWERED ON 03.04.2025 ASKED BY SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR AND DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL HIGHWAYS

Details of various initiatives taken to address road safety issues: -

## (A)      Education:

- i. Administers Road Safety Advocacy Scheme to provide financial assistance to various agencies for raising awareness about road safety and for administering road safety programs.
- ii. Observance  of  National  Road  Safety  Month/Week  every  year for spreading awareness and strengthening road safety.
- iii. Administers  a  scheme  for  setting  up  of  Institutes  of  Driving Training & Research (IDTRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs)  and  Driving Training Centres (DTCs) at state/district level across the Country.
4. (B)      Engineering:

## B.1.    Road Engineering:

- Road  Safety  Audit  (RSA)  of  all  National  Highways  (NHs)  has been made mandatory through third party auditors/ experts at all stages i.e. design, construction, operation and maintenance
- i. etc.
- ii. High priority is accorded to identification and rectification of black spots /accident spots on NHs.
- iii. Road  Safety  Officer  (RSO)  has  been  designated  at  each Regional Office of road owning agencies under MoRTH to look after RSA and other road safety related works.
- iv. Administers  the  electronic  Detailed  Accident  Report  (e-DAR) Project to establish a central repository for reporting, management and analysis of road accidents data across the Country.
- v. Issued guidelines for the provision of signages on Expressways and National Highways to offer improved visibility and intuitive guidance to the drivers.
- vi. Provisions have been made in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 for failure to comply with standards for the road design, construction  and  maintenance,  as  prescribed  by  the  Central Government from time to time.
- B.2    Vehicle Engineering:

Various  initiatives  have  been  undertaken  to  make  vehicles  safer, including the following:-

- i. Mandatory provision of an airbag for the passenger seated on the front seat of a vehicle, next to the driver.
- ii. Prescribed  norms  related  to  safety  measures  for  children below  four  years  of  age,  riding  or  being  carried  on  a  motor cycle. It also specifies use of a safety harness, crash helmet and restricts speed to 40kmph.
- iii. Mandatory  provisions  for  fitment  of  following  listed  safety technologies: -

## For M1 category vehicles:

- a.
- Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) for driver and co-driver.
- b.
- c.
- Manual Override for central locking system
- Over speed warning system.

For all M and N category vehicles:

## a.

## Reverse Parking Alert System

- Mandated Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) for certain classes of L [Motor vehicle with less than four wheels and includes a Quadricycle], M [Motor vehicles with at least four wheels used for  carrying  passengers]  and  N  [Motor  vehicles  with  at  least four  wheels  used  for  carrying  goods  which  may  also  carry persons in addition to goods, subject to conditions stipulated
- iv. in BIS standards] categories.
- v. Mandated speed limiting  function/speed  limiting  device  in  all transport  vehicles,  except  for  two  wheelers,  three  wheelers, quadricycles, fire tenders, ambulances and police vehicles.
- vi. Published the rules  for  recognition,  regulation  and  control  of Automated  Testing  Stations,  which  define  the  procedure  for fitness testing of vehicles through automated equipment and
- the  procedure  for  grant  of  fitness  certificate  by  ATSs.  The rules have been further amended on 31.10.2022 and 14.03.2024.
- vii. Formulated the Vehicle Scrapping Policy based on incentives/dis-incentives  and  for  creating  an  ecosystem  to phase out old, unfit and polluting vehicles.
- viii. Formulated  a  Scheme  to  set  up  one  model  Inspection  & Certification Centre in each State/UT with Central assistance for  testing  the  fitness  of  vehicles  through  an  automated system.
- ix. Published  rules  regarding  the  Bharat  New  Car  Assessment Program (BNCAP) to introduce the concept of safety rating of passenger  cars  and  empower  consumers  to  take  informed decisions.
- x. Published rules regarding prescribed level playing field in the area of manufacturing of buses by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Bus Body Builders.
- xi. Mandated  vehicles,  manufactured  on  or  after  1 st   October, 2025,  shall  be  fitted  with  an  air-conditioning  system  for  the cabin  of  vehicles  of  N2  (goods  vehicle  with  gross  vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12.0 tonnes) and  N3  (goods  vehicle  with  gross  vehicle  weight  exceeding 12.0 tonnes) category.
- xii. Published  rules  for  revision  of  standards  for  Safety  Belt, Restraint Systems and Safety Belt Reminder to provide provisions for applicability of revised standards for safety belt assemblies,  safety  belt  anchorages  and  the  installation  of Safety  Belts  and  Restraint  Systems,  in  Motor  vehicles  of category  M,  N  and  L7  w.e.f.  01 st   April,  2025.  Further,  the vehicles  of  category  M1,  manufactured  on  and  after  the  1 st April 2025, shall meet the requirement of safety belt reminder for all front facing rear seats as per AIS-145-2018.

## (C)     Enforcement:

- i. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 as stands implemented provides for strict penalties for ensuring compliance  and  enhancing  deterrence  for  violation  of  traffic
2. rules and strict enforcement through use of technology.
- ii. Issued  rules  for  Electronic  Monitoring  and  Enforcement  of Road  Safety.  The  rules  specify  the  detailed  provisions  for placement  of  electronic  enforcement  devices  on  high  risk  & high density corridors on National Highways, State Highways and critical junctions in cities having population of more than one million in the country and cities under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
- iii. On 10 th   June,  2024,  issued  an  advisory  to  all  the  States  and Union  territories  on  technological  interventions  for  ensuring compliance with Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
5. (D)     Emergency Care:
- i. Published rules for the protection of Good Samaritan, who in good faith, voluntarily and without expectation of any reward or  compensation  renders  emergency  medical  or  non-medical care or assistance at the scene of an accident to the victim or transports such victim to the hospital.
- ii. Enhanced  compensation  of  victims  of  Hit  and  Run  motor accidents (from Rs.12,500 to Rs.50,000 for grievous hurt and from Rs.25,000 to Rs.2,00,000 for death).
- iii. The  National  Highways  Authority  of  India  (NHAI)  has  made provisions  for  ambulances  with  paramedical  staff/Emergency Medical  Technician/Nurse  at  toll  plazas  on  the  completed corridor of National Highways.
- iv. Implemented a pilot program for providing cashless treatment to  victims  of  road  accidents  in  Chandigarh,  Haryana,  Punjab, Uttarakhand, Puducherry and Assam.

*****