NHAI to rate 25,000 km of highways by October, scores to be made public

NEW DELHI: Come October and you would get to know the rating of tolled highway stretches across the country. In a first ever such exercise, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will rate nearly 25,000 km of completed stretches where tolling is on.
An NHAI official said rating on a scale of zero to 100 marks will be done for all such 570 stretches. “Each section between two toll plazas will be taken as one stretch. The focus is to ensure that people who are paying toll get the promised riding quality and other facilities. This will make us more accountable as the details of stretches with scores will be put in public domain,” said the official.
The NHAI has drawn the details of about 45 parameters for assessing the identified stretches twice a year. Efficiency, which includes riding quality, maintenance, structures and waiting time at toll plazas, will have the maximum 45 marks, followed by 35 marks for safety. There are specific parameters to measure the greening on the median, road markings and signages, to name a few. The rest 20 marks will be for amenities along the highway.
“We will also have the provision to get users’ feedback. Though this exercise does not cover under construction stretches and non-tolled NHs, the NHAI will take all steps to ensure their maintenance,” said another official.
Sources also said the assessment audit and ranking is aimed to take corrective measures, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide higher level of service to the commuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had directed the highways ministry to rank all NHs on quality and safety parameters, which TOI had first reported on December 2.
“The ranking of the corridors will be dynamic and the concessionaire, contractor or operator will get the opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor,” an NHAI statement said.