To improve highways, a ranking system will be introduced based on performance audit of roads, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said.

What is the significance of this ranking?

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has been stressing on the need to have performance audit of projects for quality road building.

The assessment audit and ranking of NHs are aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality of roads and provide higher level of service to highway commuters, the ministry said.

“The score obtained by each corridor in each of the parameters will provide feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways. This will also help in identifying and filling gaps of design, standards, practices, guidelines, and contract agreements for other NHAI projects,” the statement said.

How will the assessment be done?

The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for bench-marking highway performances in Indian context. 

The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads:

* Highway Efficiency (45 per cent).

* Highway Safety (35 per cent).

* User Services (20 per cent). 

On the basis of outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality.

Additionally, important parameters like operating speed, access control, time taken at toll plaza, road signages, road markings, accident rate, incident response time, crash barriers, illumination will also be considered while conducting the assessment.

Other parameters include availability of Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), functionality of structures, provision for grade separated intersections, cleanliness, plantation, wayside amenities and customer satisfaction. 

The ranking of the corridors will be dynamic, and the concessionaire/ contractor/ operator will get the opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor.   

Apart from overall ranking of all the corridors, separate ranking for BOT (build, operate, transfer), HAM (hybrid annuity model) and EPC (engineering, procurement, construction) projects will also be done.  

This process of ranking will bring out operational efficiency and ensure high quality maintenance of roads, NHAI said. 

National Highways Authority of India

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up by an Act of the Parliament in 1988. It has been entrusted with the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), which along with other minor projects for development, maintenance and management. 

Its main objective is to ensure that all contract awards and procurements conform to the best industry practices with regard to transparency of process, adoption of bid criteria to ensure healthy competition in award of contracts, implementation of projects conform to best quality requirements and the highway system is maintained to ensure best user comfort and convenience.

Currently, the National Highways have a total length of 1,32,499 km to serve as the arterial network of the country. Although National Highways constitute only about 2 per cent of the road network, it carries 40 per cent of the total road traffic. 

Rapid expansion of passenger and freight traffic makes it imperative to improve the road network in the country. Accordingly, the government launched major initiatives to upgrade and strengthen National Highways through various phases of NHDP.

Functions of NHAI

* To develop, maintain and manage National Highways vested in it by the government.

* To collect fees on National Highways, regulate and control the plying of vehicles on National Highways for its proper management.

* To develop and provide consultancy and construction services in India and abroad and carry on research activities in relation to the development, maintenance and management of highways or any other facilities there at.

* To advise the central government on matters relating to highways.

* To assist on such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon, any state government in the formulation and implementation of schemes for highway development.

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