Lok Sabha Question No. 4510 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Service Lanes in NHs
Ministry: ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B

## be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps that are being taken to ensure proper maintenance and regular  repair  of  service  lanes  to  prevent  potholes  and  other  road conditions that cause accidents on National Highways (NHs);
- (b) the progress of developing service lanes in rural and underserved regions along NHs in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana;
- (c)  the  strategies  that  are  being  employed  to  address  the  lack  of proper  road  markings,  signs  and  pedestrian  facilities  on  many service  lanes,  which  endanger  the  safety  of  local  residents  and commuters;
- (d)  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plan  to  ensure  that  the construction  of  service  lanes  does  not  encroach  upon  agricultural land or displace local communities in rural areas; and
- (e) the role being played by the Ministry in coordinating with State and  local  authorities  to  ensure  that  service  lanes  are  efficiently managed and integrated into broader transportation planning?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

(SHRI NITIN JAIRAM GADKARI)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4510

ANSWERED ON 27 TH  MARCH, 2025

## SERVICE LANES IN NHS

4510.   SHRI MANICKAM TAGORE B:

## Will the Minister of ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS

सड़क परिवहन औि िाजमार्ग मंत्री

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

The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/  Operation  and  Maintenance  (O&M)  Contracts  have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/  Contractors  till  the  end  of  the  Defect  Liability Period  (DLP)/  the  Concession  Period.  Similarly,  for  NHs  stretches undertaken  under  TOT  (Toll Operate  and  Transfer) and  InvIT (Infrastructure Investment  Trust), M&R  responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period.

For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, Government has taken  a  policy  decision  to  undertake  maintenance  works  through Performance  Based  Maintenance  Contract  (PBMC)  or  Short  Term Maintenance Contract (STMC).

Repair  of  identified  defects  /  issues  in  the  road  condition, including potholes, 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.

- (b)     Service roads for NHs are generally provided at urban / semiurban locations, where local traffic is substantial, to segregate the local  traffic,  including  non-motorized  vehicles,  from  fast  moving traffic  on  the  NHs.  Service  roads  are  also  provided  below  the elevated sections and flyovers / grade separators / Vehicular Under Passes (VUPs)  for facilitating turning movements.

Details  of  length  of  service  roads  constructed  and  under construction  in  the  States  of  Kerala,  Tamil  Nadu  and  Telangana, including rural  and  underserved  regions  in  such  States,  are  as under:-

|   S. No. | State      | Constructed Length of Service Roads (in Km)   |   Length of Service Roads under Construction (in Km) |
|----------|------------|-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Kerala     | 612                                           |                                                  364 |
|        2 | Tamil Nadu | 1,903                                         |                                                  419 |
|        3 | Telangana  | 595                                           |                                                  118 |

- (c)      Government  undertakes  road  markings  with  thermoplastic paint  and  retro  reflective  signages  for  better  visibility  at  night,  in accordance with Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines. Pedestrian  safety  is  enhanced  through  the  footpaths,  foot  over bridges and crossings in service lane designs.

Contractor / Concessionaire is responsible for maintenance of the  NHs  sections,  including  the  service  roads,  during  the  DLP  / Concession  period.  Contractors  engaged  for  maintenance  of  the NHs sections, particularly for STMC / PBMC works, ensure that all facilities including the above are properly maintained.

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.

- (d)     Service roads for NHs are constructed within the Right of Way (ROW)  of  NH.  Land  Acquisition  for  construction  of  NHs  including service roads is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the NH Act, 1956.
- (e)      Construction  of  service  roads  for  NHs  is  taken  up  by  the Government,  in  coordination  with  State  and  Local  authorities,  as part  of  scope  of  development  projects  on  NHs,  from  time  to  time based on traffic density, roadside development / settlement abutting the Project Highway, congestion, accessibility for local traffic etc.

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