• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to introduce advanced ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ route patrolling vehicles (RPVs) to enhance highway safety.

• The RPVs conduct inspection of National Highway stretches to monitor and respond to emergency situations. 

• The guidelines for ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ RPVs include detailed specifications related to the use of vehicle, equipment and manpower. 

• In the existing RPVs, the rear space is open for keeping instruments and equipment to support in case of emergency situations.

• However, due to open space, the operators were not able to keep these equipment in a well organised manner, which at times lead to delay in taking prompt action.

• In order to overcome such a situation, the rear or trunk of RPV has now been replaced by a closed cabinet with dedicated space for different equipment and inventory. 

• The shelves have been created to provide quick and easy access to different equipment during the emergency situations and is a significant upgrade from the earlier RPVs.

• Additional advanced features of this new RPV shall be provision for dashboard camera equipped with ‘AI video analytics’ to capture and identify cracks and potholes as well as other elements including vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and other infrastructure assets. 

• The data/video footage including road distresses shall be collected on a  weekly basis by NHAI and this road distress data shall be integrated with NHAI One application for more efficient maintenance of roads.

• To ensure service fitness of the vehicle, the RPV shall be replaced with a new RPV, once it has exceeded run of 3,00,000 km or has been in operation for three years.

• Equipped with the advanced communication and safety tools, these vehicles will be useful in minimising traffic disruptions, improving road safety and enhancing overall road user experience along the National Highways.

• Route patrolling operations play a critical role in maintaining safety, providing incident management and ensuring smooth flow of traffic on National Highways.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up through an Act of Parliament, namely the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988. 

• The NHAI became operational in February 1995.

• The NHAI is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of the National Highways entrusted to it and for matters related or incidental thereto. 

• 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.

• India has the second largest road network in the world of about 63.32 lakh km. This comprises national highways, expressways, state highways, major district roads, other district roads and village roads.

• The national highways have a total length of 1,46,145 km, which in totality 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 National Highways Development Project (NHDP).

Functions of NHAI:

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

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

iii) 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.

iv) To advise the central government on matters relating to highways.

v) 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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