Lok Sabha Question No. 94 (STARRED), answered on 2024-02-08
Subject: Fatal Accidents on Expressways
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Rajan Baburao  Vichare

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94 ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2024

## FATAL ACCIDENTS ON EXPRESSWAYS

## *94. SHRI RAJAN VICHARE:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

## be pleased to state:

- (a)     whether fatal accidents have increased on the expressways due to heavy commercial vehicles parked illegally on the road and if so, the corrective steps/ measures taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b)     whether surveillance vehicle teams have been deployed to curb  such  menace  on  the  expressways  and  if  so,  the  details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (c)     whether designated parking lots would be provided to heavy vehicles on the expressways and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

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

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *94  FOR  ANSWER  ON  08.02.2024, ASKED BY SHRI RAJAN VICHARE REGARDING FATAL ACCIDENTS ON EXPRESSWAYS.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

- (a)       As  per  data  received  from  Police  Departments  of  States/Union Territories, number of fatal accidents on National Highways (including National Expressways) in the country for the period from 2019 to 2022 is given in the table below : -

|   Year | No. of fatal accidents   |
|--------|--------------------------|
|   2019 | 51,036                   |
|   2020 | 45,655*                  |
|   2021 | 50,953*                  |
|   2022 | 55,571                   |

Ministry, as mandated under enabling provisions of Section 118 of the Motor  Vehicles  Act,  1988  (The  MV  Act,  1988),  notified  'The  Motor Vehicles (Driving) Regulations, 2017' vide G.S.R 634 (E) dated 23.06.2017, which provides for regulatory requirements to be followed by all road users including drivers of heavy vehicles such as -duties of drivers and riders, lane traffic, right of way, stopping and parking, ban on traffic impairment and driving of tractors and goods vehicles. Section 177A of the MV Act, 1988, as stands included vide the Motor Vehicles (Amendment)  Act,  2019,  prescribes penalty for contravention of regulations made under section 118 of the Act. Section 201 of the MV Act,  1988,  as  stands  amended,  provides  for  penalty  for  causing obstruction to free flow of traffic by all types of vehicles including heavy vehicles.

As per provisions under Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment)  Act,  2019,  Ministry has notified rule for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety vide G.S.R. 575(E) dated 11th August, 2021.

Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) is presently installed in high traffic density National Highways and National Expressways such as Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Trans-Haryana, Eastern Peripheral Expressway etc. by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Ministry  has  taken  various  steps  in  the  interest  of  drivers  such  as Wayside Amenities etc. on National Expressways.

Ministry has notified rules in December, 2023 for provision of an airconditioning system for the cabin of Goods vehicle with gross vehicle weight exceeding 3.5 tonnes, manufactured on or after eighteen months from the date of publication of these rules.

Ministry  has  also  circulated  guidelines  in  July  2023  for  provision  of signages  on  National  Expressways  to  provide  crucial  information  to drivers for safe navigation and minimizing risks associated with lane changes.

Toll free Helpline No. 1033 is available 24*7 for assistance of National Expressways' users.

- (b)      Route  Patrolling  Vehicles (RPV)/ Highway Surveillance Vehicles (HSV) deployed by contractors/concessionaires on National Expressways  have  multiple  roles  including  removal  of  the  illegally parked vehicles along the National Expressway.  At present, a total of 31 HSV/RPV are deployed on the operational National Expressways as detailed below : -
- (c)      The  Ministry  has  issued  guidelines  dated  11.02.2021  regarding development of Wayside Amenities (WSA) having resting facilities such as Parking, Dormitory, Dhaba, etc for drivers, for reducing fatigue of long distance travel along the National Highways and National Expressways. National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) is developing WSA  at  regular intervals across Brownfield National Highways and Expressways.

|   Sl. No. | Name of the National Expressways   |   Operational length (in km) |   Number deployed HSV/RPV |
|-----------|------------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------|
|         1 | Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway      |                       93.303 |                         3 |
|         2 | Delhi-Meerut Expressway            |                       84     |                         6 |
|         3 | Eastern Peripheral Expressway      |                      135     |                         5 |
|         4 | Delhi-Mumbai Expressway            |                      457.74  |                        17 |

At present 48 WSA are operational along the National Highways and National  Expressways.   Out  of  the  48  WSA,  8  WSA  are  along  the operational National Expressways as detailed at Annexure.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 94 FOR ANSWER ON 08.02.2024 ASKED BY SHRI RAJAN VICHARE REGARDING FATAL ACCIDENTS ON EXPRESSWAYS.

Details of 8 Operational WSAs on National Expressways :-

|   Sl. No. | State         | NH/ National Expressways   | Site Description                                          |
|-----------|---------------|----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Haryana       | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD2-3L_Package3_63+140 LHS                                |
|         2 | Haryana       | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD2-4R_Package3_69+900 RHS                                |
|         3 | Rajasthan     | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD4-6L_Package6_172+550 LHS                               |
|         4 | Rajasthan     | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD4-6R_Package6_172+550 RHS                               |
|         5 | Rajasthan     | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD3-5R_Package5_125+600 RHS                               |
|         6 | Rajasthan     | Delhi-Mumbai               | DD3-5L_Package5_125+600 LHS                               |
|         7 | Uttar Pradesh | Eastern Peripheral         | Kundli - Palwal/ NE2_39+500_RHS_Milak Chakarpur_Ghaziabad |
|         8 | Uttar Pradesh | Eastern Peripheral         | Kundli - Palwal/ NE2_39+500_LHS_Milak Chakarpur_Ghaziabad |

*****