The immense potential of road transport could not be tapped fully since Independence, largely due to lack of a good all-India road network. Today, however, our road infrastructure is poised for a major leap. Under the able leadership of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the nation has embarked upon a massive road development programme, that is one of the biggest in the world in the proposed time-frame.

The National Highways Development Project (NHDP), is a major initiative towards qualitative and quantitative enhancement of National Highways, involving development and 4/6 laning of about 13,150 km of road at a cost of over Rs. 54,000 crore (at 1998-99 prices). In the words of Hon’ble Prime Minister, "The Project envisages a Golden Quadrilateral linking the Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi circuit, a North-South Corridor connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari and a similar East-West Corridor connecting Silchar to Saurashtra. It is indeed the largest and the most ambitious infrastructure project undertaken in independent India – a highway to prosperity. The project will not only further integrate our great land through a network of world-class highways, it will also place India on the fast lane to socio-economic development."

The programme set by the Prime Minister includes:

• The Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) or Phase-I of NHDP: Delhi-Kolkata-Chennai-Mumbai-Delhi circuit, involving 5,846 km of road and costing over Rs. 25,050 crore. About 96 per cent of the Project is expected to be completed by December, 2004.
• North-South & East-West Corridors or Phase-II of NHDP: From Srinagar to Kanayakumari and Silchar to Porbandar, involving a distance of 7,300 km and costing over Rs. 30,000 crore. The date of completion of this project, earlier given as December, 2009, has now been advanced to December, 2007.
• Other works include port connectivity to major ports: To maximize benefits, the major ports (Haldia, Paradip, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Tuticorin, Cochin, Mangalore, Mormugoa, Jawahar Lal Nehru Port and Kandla) are being connected to NHDP highways by about 400 km of roads. Other projects involve about 600 km of road development.
• No railway level crossing on NHDP: on the GQ alone, over 75 railway over bridges are being constructed.

The work on NHDP is proceeding as per plan and till November 30, 2003, out of the total GQ length of 5,846 km, work has been completed on 2,005 km and is under implementation on 3,758 km. Work on the remaining 83 km will soon be awarded. Out of the total North-South and East-West Corridor length of 7,300 km, work has already been completed on 557 km and is under implementation on 423 km. The balance would be awarded in a phased manner so that the Project is completed by December, 2007.

NHDP’s prime focus is on developing international standard roads with enhanced safety features, like (i) better riding surface, better road geometry, better traffic management and adequate signages, markings and safety barriers; (ii) divided carriageways and service roads; (iii) grade separators, over bridges and underpasses for uninterrupted traffic flow; (iv) bypasses; and, (v) wayside amenities along with ambulances and cranes.

Another striking feature of NHDP is that Indian firms have won a majority of Contracts. Out of 121 ongoing Contracts (as on November 30, 2003) worth Rs 17,916 crore, as many as 78 Contracts worth Rs 10,136 crore have gone to Indian firms, 32 Contracts worth Rs 5,940 crore to joint ventures while 11 Contracts worth Rs 1,840 crore have gone to foreign firms.

Apart from the nearly 14,000 km of highways being developed under NHDP and other projects, the Government has announced 4-laning and development of another 10,000 km of National Highways stretches under the PMBJP. These new stretches would be identified on the basis of traffic density, connectivity of State Capitals with NHDP (as announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on Independence Day 2003) and connectivity of important centres of tourist and economic importance with NHDP. The total cost of the projects under this is estimated at Rs.40,000 crore and work will be awarded in 4-5 years on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. To ensure a reasonable return to the BOT operators, the Government will provide Grant for meeting the shortfall in the revenue on case to case basis.

In fact, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has already identified seven National Highways stretches under this new initiative, that will be taken up for 4-laning during the current financial year. These seven stretches cover a length of 622 km in five States and would be 4-laned at an approximate cost of Rs.2,500 crore. The stretches are: (i) 100 km. long Vadape-Gonde Section on NH-3 in Maharashtra, (ii) 118 km. long Pimpalgaon-Dhule Section on NH-3 in Maharashtra, (iii) 45 km. long Raipur-Aurang Section on NH-6 in Chattisgarh, (iv) 57 km. long Bharatpur-Mahua Section on NH-11 in Rajasthan, (v) 108 km. long Mahua-Jaipur Section on NH-11 in Rajasthan, (vi) 115 km. long Barhi-Ranchi Section on NH-33 in Jharkhand, and (vii) 79 km. long Meerut-Muzaffarnagar Section on NH-58 in Uttar Pradesh.

The details of the projects under which 16 State Capitals would be connected with NHDP highways involving 4-laning of a total length of 2,812 km are given below. The remaining State Capitals are already covered under NHDP.

The tremendous thrust to road development, under the present Government, can be gauged from the fact that whereas in 50 years (1947-1997), only 556 km of national highways were 4-laned, but now in less than seven years, over 24,000 km would be 4-laned.

• Employment generation: Direct employment to nearly three lakh workers (skilled and unskilled) per day. This figure will go up substantially once the work starts on more and more stretches. The indirect employment generation is several times more.
• Big boost to rural economy: Direct and faster access from hinterland to main market centres/metropolitan towns. Farm produce will have quicker access to the markets, thereby enhancing the reach and export potential of perishable goods, leading to better remuneration for the producer.
• Fillip to industry: A big jump start to Cement, Steel, Automobile, Road Construction and Tourism industries. An annual average consumption of 25 to 40 lakh metric tonne of cement and 2.5 to 3.0 lakh metric tonne of steel during 2001-04 has been estimated on just the GQ. In fact, the impact is already being felt. Better highways will reduce turn around time for goods carriers and facilitate introduction of more efficient multi-axle trucks. Commercial vehicles’ sales have have grown over 36 per cent during April-December, 2003. Indian construction companies will become capable of taking up road projects anywhere in the world. Faster and comfortable journeys will attract more and more domestic and international tourists.
• Massive national savings: According to a World Bank study, the completion of GQ alone will result in an annual saving of approximately Rs. 8,000 crore (at 1999 prices) on account of fuel savings, reduced wear and tear of vehicles and faster transportation etc. One can imagine the savings after the whole programme is completed.

For the first time in the country, the private sector has been involved in a big way in development and maintenance of National Highways. Comprehensive guidelines for private sector participation have been issued. Necessary legislative measures, to facilitate private investment, have been taken by amending the National Highways Act, 1956. Various tax and fiscal incentives have been provided for promoters to attract investments in the highways sector. Model Concession Agreements for projects costing more than Rs. 100 crore, and also for smaller projects costing less than Rs. 100 crore, have been finalised. Model Concession Agreement for annuity based projects is also in place. This is expected to bring uniformity in the various agreements for projects to be undertaken on BOT basis. Till date, 34 projects have been taken up by the private sector with a committed investment of about Rs. 6,000 crore and 18 such projects have already been completed.

To encourage road construction industry in the country, the Central Government has offered many incentives, some of which are:

• Total Custom Duty exemption on road building equipment not being produced in the country. Twenty-one such items have been identified.
• Income- Tax exemption for 10 years from NHDP earnings.
• In the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) projects, grant up to 40 per cent can be given.
• The NHAI Bonds have been exempted from Capital Gains.

The present Government has taken a number of notable steps to arrange finances for the nation’s roads. In a historic decision, a nominal cess has been introduced on both petrol and diesel. The funds so collected are to be put aside in a non lapsable Central Road Fund (CRF) for the development of a modern road network. This has resulted in an allocation of Rs. 1,192 crore, Rs. 5,590 crore, Rs. 5,962 crore, Rs. 5,880 crore and Rs. 5,791 crore from the revamped

CRF during 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2003-04, respectively, as per details given below:

(Rs. In crore)

It is for the first time that such large funds are being mobilised for the development of not only National Highways, but also State roads and rural roads all over the country.

At the end of VIII Plan, the total length of National Highways in the country was only 34,298 km. Renewed focus on the road sector during the IX Plan period has resulted in a length of 23,814 km being added to the National Highway network. The total length of National Highways as on date is 58,112 km. The Government’s emphasis has been on improvement of riding quality of National Highways, for the comfort of the road users. Improvement of Riding Quality Programme (IRQP) was initiated in 1999, to improve the riding quality of National Highways other then NHDP. Riding quality of about 33,000 km length has been improved from Plan and Non-Plan funds under IRQP. The balance length is targeted for improvement in next two years.

A legislation on Control of National Highways (land and traffic) for prevention of encroachment, traffic regulation etc. on National Highways has been enacted. The salient features of the Act are as follows:

1. Appointment of Highway Administration and its authorised officers for enforcing the provisions of the proposed legislation and establishment of Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders of the Highway Administration and its authorised officers;
2. Prevention of unauthorized occupation of highway land and their removal;
3. Control of access points to the National Highways;
4. Regulation of different types of traffic permitted on the National Highways;
5. Control of use of road land for public utilities, drains, etc.; and
6. Issue of licenses or lease deeds for temporary use of the National Highways land.

It has been decided that vehicles of Gallantry awardees, viz Param Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra and Shaurya Chakra will not have to pay users’ fees for use of tolled National Highways and bridges.

In view of the large number of road accidents taking place in the country, a number of road safety measures have been initiated by the Government, which encompass the educative aspect for generating road safety awareness on one hand, and on the other, relate to a better enforcement as also to improvement in road conditions based upon various engineering based solutions. As a result, despite the increasing number of high performance motor vehicles coming on public roads and higher speeds on roads owing to improvement in road conditions, the number of accidents has come down from about 10 accidents per 1,000 vehicles in the year 1997 to about 7 by the year 2002.

During the period 1997-98 to 2002-03, more than 37,000 drivers of heavy motor vehicles in the unorganised sector have been provided refresher training. A large number of NGOs have been associated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the road safety programme. An expenditure of about Rs. 65 crore has been incurred in period from 1998-99 to 2002-03 on various road safety related activities.

A number of measures have been taken to tighten emission norms and safety standards for motor vehicles:

• Bharat Stage – I emission norms which are akin to Euro – I norms have been extended throughout the country from April 1, 2000.
• The emission standards for agricultural tractors were notified on September 8, 1999. The next generation norms for tractor have come into force from June 1, 2003.
• Bharat Stage-II norms, which are akin to Euro-II norms, were introduced for the first time in the country in Delhi from April 1, 2000, in respect of light motor vehicle. These norms have been extended to all categories of motor vehicles in the year 2001, to the four metros namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. From April 1, 2003, these norms have come into force in Agra, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Pune and Surat.
• Fitment of Catalytic Converter has been made mandatory for all four-wheeled petrol driven vehicles for registration in four Metro cities from April 1, 1995, and in other 45 cities of the country from August 1, 1998.
• While in developed countries, the phasing out of lead was done over a period of more than 10 years, the same was done in just 6 years in our country.
• Next generation emission norms for two and three wheelers have also been notified and are to come into force from April 1, 2005.

Through an amendment of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 in August 2000, use of environment friendly fuels, like Compressed Natural Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Solar Power Electric Batteries etc. as automotive fuel, have been legislated.

Through the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2001, transport vehicles running on CNG have been brought under the permit and fare purview of the State governments.

The Central Motor Vehicles Rules have been amended in March, 2001, to tighten the fitness norms for commercial vehicles.

Emission and safety norms for vehicles, operating on CNG as also on LPG, have been notified, which include testing, type approval and safety related aspects.

Wearing of seat belts in motor vehicles fitted with seat belts has been mandated.

With a view to facilitating the victims/heirs of road accidents victims in obtaining compensation, the Solatium Scheme, 1989, has been amended in the year 2000, to waive the requirement for filling claims within a period of six months.

An agreement to operate bus service between Delhi and Lahore was signed on February 17,1999. Similarly, an agreement to operate bus service between Kolkata and Dhaka was signed on June 17, 1999. Commercial operation of these bus services is taking place. An Agreement for bus service between Agartala and Dhaka was signed on July 10, 2001, and the service was inaugurated on September 19, 2003.

Various road development and road transport initiatives of the Government, during the last four years, will result in immense benefits for our country, like:

• Employment generation
• Thrust to economy
• Benefits to trade especially in movement of perishable goods such as agricultural produce from hinterland.
• Reduced fuel consumption
• Reduced maintenance costs
• Reduced vehicular pollution
• Safer travel
• Faster, comfortable journeys
• All round development of areas.