Highway upkeep, toll collection go together

In order to ensure quality maintenance of some of its recently constructed highways, including the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to make it mandatory for contractors collecting toll to maintain the stretches as well.

The NHAI has decided to issue only operate, maintain and transfer contracts for about 6,500 km of highways, including stretches under the GQ, which come under the first and second phases of the national highway development project (NHDP).

In order to enforce the new rules for tolling these stretches, the highway authority has withdrawn some tenders. Toll collectors are expected to be paid an extra sum for maintenance works.

Contracts for highways constructed under the first and second phases of NHDP were awarded under engineering, procurement and construction terms, according to which, the NHAI had taken upon itself to maintain the roads once they were completed.

However, the authority is concerned over the fact that these expensive highways, which cost approximately more than Rs 5 crore for every km, require maintenance.

The authority is not worried on the same count about projects which were awarded after phases I and II, as these were mostly on BOT basis (build, operate and transfer), with maintenance factored in the contracts.

According to NHAI Member (Technical) G Sharan, contractors who win such maintenance bids are expected to provide peripheral services such as tow-away vehicles and ambulances, for which they are likely to be paid a fee.

"Every investment made on maintenance of the roads, such as repair of speed-breakers and painting of signs is quantifiable. So we will also regularly take stock of the kind of maintenance works executed by the contractor," Sharan said. The roads will be regularly tested by the NHAI.

Sources say it is also possible that ex-servicemen are given preference for maintenance contracts as the authority feels they have the requisite experience and better accountability systems.