Know your Ministry - No. 50 - Road Transport and Highways

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is an apex organisation of the Central Government, is entrusted with the task of formulating and administering, in consultation with other Central Ministries/Departments, State Governments/UT Administrations, organisations and individuals, policies for Road Transport, National Highways and Transport Research with a view to increasing the mobility and efficiency of the road transport system in the country. The Ministry is divided into two wings: Roads wing and Transport wing.

Road Wing deals with development and maintenance of National Highway in the country in

• Planning, development and maintenance of National Highways in the country.
• Extends technical and financial support to State Governments for the development of state roads and the roads of inter-state connectivity and economic importance.
• Evolves standard specifications for roads and bridges in the country.
• Serves as a repository of technical knowledge on roads and bridges.

Transport wing deals with all matters relating to Road Transport under the Administration of

• Motor Vehicle legislation.
• Administration of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• Taxation of motor vehicles.
• Compulsory insurance of motor vehicles.
• Administration of the Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950.
• And promotion of Transport co-operatives in the field of motor transport.
• Evolves road safety standards in the form of a National Policy on Road Safety and by preparing and implementing the Annual Road Safety Plan.
• Collects, compiles and analyses road accident statistics and takes steps for developing a Road Safety Culture in the country by involving the members of public and organising various awareness campaigns.
• Provides grants-in-aid to Non-Governmental Organisations in accordance with the laid down guidelines.

The Ministry has established a Vision to have a sustainable, efficient, safe and internationally comparable quality of road infrastructure in general and National Highways infrastructure in particular to achieve enhanced connectivity, quick mobility to a level which accelerate socio-economic development. It has therefore set up a Mission for:

• Development of National Highways (NHs) Network in the country into a road network of international standards for uninterrupted flow of traffic with enhanced safety features.
• Enhanced connectivity for remote far flung and isolated areas, including North-East Region (NER), Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas including Tribal areas.
• Evolving policies for efficient and safe transportation through the Road Network and facilitating their implementation.
• Establish arrangements for review of Road Transport requirements keeping in view the long term perspective.
• Evolve regulations for safer, fuel efficient and cleaner automobiles in alignment with international standards.
• Improving road safety scenario in the country especially on National Highways.
• Promoting IT for facilitating online services to the stakeholders
• Strengthening public transport system.

AUTONOMOUS BODIES - National Highways Authority of India.

SOCIETIES/ASSOCIATION- National Institute of Training for Highway Engineers.

PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS- Indian Road Construction Corporation.

ACTS & REGULATIONS-  The Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950; The National Highway Act, 1956 ;The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988; The National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988; The Central Road and Infrastructure Fund Act, 2000; The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002 and The Carriage by Road Act, 2007.

ALLOCATION OF BUSINESS

This Ministry is responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways, administration of the Central Road Fund and formulation and implementation of policies relating to road transport. The subjects allocated to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, at present, as per the Govt. of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 framed and issued by Cabinet Secretariat, under the following subjects which fall within list 1 of the seventh schedule to the Constitution of India:/span>

• Compulsory insurance of motor vehicles.
• Administration of the Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950.
• Highways declared by or under law made by Parliament to be national highways.
• Issuance of notifications under clause (a) of section 3 and sections 3A, 3D, 7 and section 8A  of the National Highways Act, 1956 without being scrutinised and vetted by the Legislative Department.
• Roads other than National Highways.
• Administration of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and taxation of motor vehicles.
• Vehicles other than mechanically propelled vehicles.

Coordination and Research activities pertaining to Road Works.

• Road works financed in whole or in part by the Central Government other than those in the North Eastern Region.
• Motor vehicles legislation.
• Promotion of Transport Co-operatives in the field of motor transport and inland water transport.
• Formulation of the privatisation policy in the infrastructure areas of roads.

HIGHWAYS -  

National Highway Details, Standard Documents, Financial Sanctions, Land Acquisition, Green Highways, Signature Projects, Research Schemes, New Material / Technology on National Highways, Arbitral Award, Invitation of public comments for access permission to Fuel Stations, Retails Outlets, etc., Online Permissions for Movement of Over Weight and Over Dimensional (OW/OD) Consignment and  Circulars / Notifications related to National Highways, Debarment/Blacklisting, Entrustment, User Fee(Toll) and Related Acts/Rules

ROAD TRANSPORT –

Initiatives, National Permit System, Cross Border Movement Agreements, and Circulars/Notifications related to Road Transport, Gazette Notifications related to Motor Vehicle Legislation, Automotive Industry Standards (AIS), List of Approved Vehicle Location Tracking Device Manufacturers, M-Parivahan Website, Parivahan Sewa and State Transport Department Websites.

ROAD SAFETY –

Activities on Road Safety, National Road Safety Policy, Schemes/Projects, Knowledge/ Resources, Black Spots, Road Safety Engineering Cell, Good Samaritan, Presentations/ Reports, Road Accidents Dashboards and Circulars/Notifications related to Road Safety. /span>

PUBLICATIONS –

Annual Reports, Annual Reports of Indian Academy of Highway Engineers (IAHE), NNational Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL, Indian Road Congress(IRC) Publications, Basic Road Statistics of India, Road Accidents in India, Road Transport Year Book, Results Framework Document(RFD), Outcome Budget, Detailed Demands for Grants, Performance of State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs), GST in transport sector and E-Books. Path Bharti.

TASKS ON NATIONAL PRIORITY & WAY FORWARD

• Devise an Immediate National Action Plan to rectify the bad and un-roadworthy conditions of all Roads especially in the National Highways./span>
• Minimize the operational costs for all commercial vehicles especially those carrying essential commodities.
• Establish a regulated co-ordination between Centre and States under a standard integrated approach.
• Real-time updation of Road Accidents including copies of FIRs to be published in the Ministry’s website ensuring transparency to facilitate compliance of all legal procedures..
• Deploy all the latest technological resources to address the problems of high traffic density and vehicular movements that result in causing high traffic jam, pollution, congestion, road accidents, etc.
• Geographical Road & Toll tax diversity across several States and need for uniform regulations to minimize corruption, involvement of middlemen due to the presence of multiple toll tax counter, Check posts, Octroi duties collections that affect the smooth movement of  vehicles, loss of  time creating the problems for transporters and consignment.
• To establish a suitable regulated mechanism to ensure provision of all basic wayside amenities in Indian Highway like first aid centres, telephone booths, repair shops, restaurants, clean toilets, etc
• Strict electronic supervision of Road safety norms and regulation ensuring strict compliance of road safety rules and penalties imposed on violation these laws.
• The legislative framework of our country should pay attention and importance to transparency in the collection of Toll Fees and other road related taxes imposed on transporters including the development activities and timelines fixed for Road and Highways projects.
• To launch a national campaign engaging the youth and student community to plant highbred tree saplings across the entire length and breadth of the Road and Highways of the country to promote afforestation campaign both on short and long term basis.
• To establish a uniform policy and implementation guidelines for construction of underpasses on Highways for every five kilometres and overbridges with escalators for every two kilometres  of road stretch and seal the borders of the roads to prevent strolling/crossing of roads by people and small vehicles.
• To establish an independent Departments both in the Ministry of Railways and Road Transport & Highways mutually to co-ordinate the Road and Rail Transportation infrastructure and minimize or modernize all level crossing points so that a robust framework is established to facilitate modernization road transportation.
• Ministry needs to devise suitable stringent Regulations for truck transport vehicles and buses that are responsible for huge pollution and require immediate replacement as most of them are outdated and out modelled. The use of these vehicles is a major reason for road accident as well as environmental pollution and establish a prescribed Regulated Road Standards technology prescriptions to ensure the safest transportation of goods.
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare should draw a National Plan and Strategy to establish lifesaving Accident and Trauma Care Centres functioning 24X7 equipped with latest medical equipment’s and manned by Senior Specialists and assisted by medical students across the entire Highways stretch so that life of the victim during golden hour is saved before shifting to a full-fledged hospital for next stage of medical care.
• Strengthening the prescribed Road Safety norms at par with International Standards