Toll roads to be made user friendly: Six myths busted
Last Monday (September 1), the Rajasthan High Court,stayed the hike in toll on the Jaipur-Delhi national highway. This stay order will remain till such time the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the operator file an affidavit confirming that the road is in good condition. They also have to confirm that a proper and maintained highway exists that justifies the toll charged.
The HC wants to safeguard the interests of the toll road users. Post-Independence we have seen that India has always been obsessed with asset creation, not effective asset utilisation. The construction companies look at the Highway build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects as yet another construction project with immediate order-book gains.
Though the concession agreement specified operations, maintenance and tolling service delivery standards across the life of the project, the operators normally do not take it very seriously. Many concessionaires did not have the mind-set or the experience to manage long-term assets of this kind, and the NHAI inspections revealed this situation.
The ministry of road transport and highways is now keen to revive the road construction activity with a bag full of engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contracts. These projects will total up to almost 10,000 km. Along with it these EPC packages are getting bundled with five to 10 years of operation & maintenance (O&M) obligations too.
VivekRastogi, who is a well-recognised expert in road operations and maintenance, busted six myths that should be kept in mind in order to improve the operations and maintenance and deliver value to the customers.
Source- Business Standard
Build-Operate-Transfer, engineering procurement construction, Jaipur-Delhi national highway, National Highways Authority of India, NHAI, operation & maintenance, Rajasthan high court, Toll-roads
