NHAI and Maharashtra differ over accuracy in toll collection data

While the National Highways Authority asks for 95% accuracy in toll collection data, the state road development agency is content with 90%

Chotta Hathi and Bullock Cart — one is the nickname for a Tata Motors’ Ace pick-up truck and the other an old transport mode. Both have two things in common — they are easy to spot on Indian roads and are also part of a larger concern involved in traffic data collection.

They could also be among the many reasons state road development agencies, like Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), are content asking for toll or traffic audit data which is less accurate compared to what the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) tenders.

The MSRDC in November floated a tender for engaging toll audit firms. These firms help the MSRDC assess the traffic and hence the toll collection due to the MSRDC on stretches which have been bid out for toll collection to private concessionaires.

  

What the MSRDC is seeking in a tender floated in November is a minimum accuracy of 90 per cent in classification of vehicles and 95 per cent in the number of vehicles. This is lower than what the NHAI asks for in its bid documents. NHAI's Indian Highways Management Company (IHMCL) in a March 2018 bid called for more than 95 per cent accuracy in classification and more than 98 per cent accuracy in count. An accuracy of 90 per cent would mean that if the MSRDC was to cross check the data given by an independent audit or that reported by the concessionaire, by conducting another audit, then any difference up to 10 per cent will be ignored.

In certain contracts, for any kind of difference of more than 10 per cent in the toll audit firm data, the toll firm gets penalised. If the toll audit firm shows more vehicles and toll collector (contractor) is showing less, an investigation is started to check the difference. In the event of toll audit firm showing less vehicles, and toll collection firm showing more, penalty is on the toll audit firm. 

While some attribute the inaccuracy to the complexity of India roads, other point out there is still scope to ask for higher accuracy.

According to the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2018-19 document, MSRDC's total toll collected from the partially and fully completed projects up to October, 2017, was Rs 7,636 crore. A top official from a private equity firm which has been investing in India's road projects has another explanation to offer.

"One reason why there is a discrepancy between what the state asks as accuracy and what the NHAI is demanding in its tenders could be the nature of traffic on these roads. State roads are likely to see many kinds of vehicles, for instance, a chotta haathi which is typically difficult to classify. National highways may have more organised traffic, easy for classification," the official said.

However, officials from toll audit firms hold a different view. "Technology has since evolved and it is possible to get fixed location ATCC data with accuracies of up to 98 per cent. Various lnfrared/LaserA/video based systems are available from international equipment suppliers which can perform to this accuracy," said a top official from one of the toll audit firms. ATCC is all automatic traffic counter and classifier. MRSDC officials say the accuracy limits were set based on what is practically possible. "We have kept the accuracy levels at that because we know it is not possible to achieve anything higher than that,” said Shashikant Sontakke, Chief Engineer for MSRDC.

 What is the point asking for something, when not enough is available to achieve that accuracy?" said Shashikant Sontakke, Chief Engineer for MSRDC.