NHAI to undertake performance assessment & ranking of highways in the country

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to undertake performance assessment and ranking of the highways in the country. The exercise is an exercise to improve the quality of roads.

The assessment audit and ranking of the National Highways is aimed to take corrective recourse, wherever needed, to improve the quality and provide a higher level of service to highway commuters.

The assessment parameters are based on different international practices and studies for benchmarking highway performances in the Indian context.

The criteria for the assessment have been broadly categorised in three main heads. They are - Highway Efficiency (45%), Highway Safety (35%) and User Services (20%).

Based on the outcome of the assessment, the authority will undertake a comprehensive analysis and decide on the level of intervention required to enhance the overall service quality. Additionally, important parameters like operating speed, access control and time taken at the toll plaza, road signages, road markings, and accident rate will also be considered while conducting the assessment.

The score obtained by each Corridor in each of the parameters will provide feedback and corrective recourse for higher standards of operation, better safety and user experience to improve existing highways.

The ranking of the corridors is going to be dynamic under which the contractor/ concessionaire/ operator will be provided with an opportunity to improve upon their ranking by improving the services on that corridor.

Apart from overall ranking of all the corridors, separate ranking for BOT, HAM and EPC projects will also be done. This process of ranking will bring out operational efficiency and ensure high-quality maintenance of roads.