[ad_1]
Independent consultants and specialised agencies have been invited to conduct state-wise audits across India’s 146,195-km national highway network, two officials familiar with the matter said.
The aim is to identify high-risk zones where safety measures have not been implemented, and to detect any new developments that have made stretches more dangerous, they said.
The push comes amid persistent public pressure and grim official data. India recorded nearly 480,000 road accidents in 2023, leading to 180,000 deaths and around 400,000 serious injuries. That amounts to just over 20 fatalities every hour, and according to minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, a 3% economic loss to GDP.
In comparison, China saw fewer than 61,000 road fatalities in 2023, according to Statista, despite having a significantly larger road network.
While national highways make up just 2% of India’s total road network, they carry more than 40% of all freight and a significant share of passenger traffic. They also account for more than 30% of road accidents, more than any other road category, including state highways.
One of the officials said that the audit has now been fast tracked by inviting consultants and specialised agencies to take up audit work state by state and complete the entire exercise mid-July so that government agencies could start rectification work based on audit recommendations at the earliest.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), road safety audits by third-party experts are now mandatory at every stage—design, construction, operation, and maintenance. But with accident fatalities still climbing, the ministry is compressing timelines: auditors will get just 25 days to conduct assessments and another 20 to submit their reports.
Each audit will involve kilometre-by-kilometre inspections, daytime and night-time traffic analysis, local inquiries, topographic surveys, accident data collection from police, and geospatial mapping. Safety concerns must be flagged at every stretch, with corrective options documented for implementation, the ministry has said in the scope of work finalised for auditors.
The audit initiative forms part of a wider national push to make India’s highways safer.
Read this | Highway capex moves in slow lane in FY25
According to its 2024–25 annual report, the ministry has identified 13,795 accident-prone black spots to be fixed over the next year. Of these, 4,777 have been permanently rectified as of December 2024. The remaining spots underscore the scale of the challenge.
MoRTH did not respond to a request for comment.
Beyond black spots
“India’s national highways…carry a disproportionately high volume of traffic…However, this high usage also correlates with a higher incidence of road accidents and fatalities,” said Saket Mehra, partner, Grant Thornton Bharat.
Some experts argue that the country’s road safety strategy must go beyond audits and engineering fixes.
Read this | Govt plans whitetopping technology to rehabilitate worn out national highways
Fixing the issue of high road accidents in India requires a bold strategy to shift freight from roads to railways, inland waterways, and coastal shipping, according to Chandan Chowdhury of Indian School of Business. “AI (artificial intelligence) and Internet of Things (IoT) must be deployed for speed enforcement, vehicle tracking, and predictive accident prevention. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) should be made mandatory in commercial vehicles.”
Stronger law enforcement and better driver education are also needed, he added, along with continuous improvements in road construction and maintenance.
“A holistic strategy is needed—one that combines infrastructure upgrades, technology-driven enforcement, and improved driver education,” said Shailesh Agarwal, Partner at EY India’s infrastructure risk consulting practice.
In its report, the ministry said road accidents are “multi-causal,” requiring joint efforts across central and state agencies. Its current strategy is built around four pillars: education, engineering (of both roads and vehicles), enforcement, and emergency care.
Also read | InvITs becoming prime vehicle for forging M&A activity in roads and highways
MoRTH has also partnered with the National Health Authority to pilot cashless emergency treatment for road accident victims. Under the scheme, currently operational in Chandigarh, Puducherry, and select states, victims are entitled to up to ₹1.5 lakh for treatment per accident over a seven-day period. The government plans to roll the scheme out nationally in the coming months, officials said.
[ad_2]
Source link
