(a) whether the National Transport Development Policy Committee has submitted its report to the Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government proposes to take any effective measures to ensure that the roads are maintained in an efficient manner by changing policy; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR.ASHWANI KUMAR)
(a):No, Sir, the National Transport Development Policy Committee (NTDPC) has not yet submitted its Final Report to the Government. However, it has submitted an Interim Report in April, 2012.
(b): The Interim Report has estimated the transport to grow by a factor of four over the next 20 years and has suggested an integrated approach to planning investment in transport infrastructure. It has suggested a model mix that will make feasible an efficient, sustainable, economical, safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and regionally balanced transportation system. It has also emphasized the need to promote regional connectivity within South Asia and between South Asia and South East Asia; need for efficient movement of key commodities such as Coal, Iron Ore, Iron & Steel and POL; ensure skilled manpower in areas related to development and operation of transport infrastructure and services; improvement in the culture of safety that emphasises individual and institutional responsibility and improvement in the transport planning and policy making mechanism.
(c) & (d): There is no proposal to change the existing policy. The Government is already laying stress on development of sound maintenance strategies with planned provisions of maintenance inputs. Highways being developed under the National
Highway Development Programme through BOT have a provision for not only construction but also for maintenance of roads
to be undertaken by the concessionaire for the period of the concession. Recently greater thrust is being placed on taking
up short-term meintenance work of already developed stretches of National Highways through private sector on Operate-Maintain-Transfer (OMT) basis. The Government is also stressing the need to develop a system of maintaining
and periodically updating the database on inventory of roads, bridges and other structures on National Highways which
would be useful in the planing a proper maintenance schedule of the highways.