[Answered] Investing in roads is not only economically beneficial but socially as well. Discuss. Also, suggest measures to improve road infrastructure in cities.

India is home to the world’s second-biggest road network, which covers 5.4 million km throughout the vast country. Roads, connecting different cities, towns and even villages, serve a very important means for vehicles and people to travel from one place to another. Roads add to the city’s revenue base which the city can use to improve infrastructure and public services.

Economical benefits:

• Labour Productivity: the commute time for the labour force to the workplace plays a very important role in determining their productivity in cities. Better the roads, lesser the time labour spend on commutation and higher will be their productivity.
• Effective Labor Market: The longer the commute time in a city, the smaller will be its effective labour market. The effective labour market refers to the jobs accessible within a reachable limit in the city.
• Tax base: Road length has a positive effect on the city’s tax base. This is because roads lead to easy access to jobs and increased economic activity; that also gives the public more confidence and motivation to pay taxes.

Social benefits of better roads:

• Improves access to schooling for children as well as healthcare, thereby upgrading human development.
• It connects the rural community with markets and farm input suppliers, education and employment opportunities, health and welfare facilities.
• Also supports family and community development by providing the necessary access to gatherings (social or political) outside of the locality.

Measures to improve road infrastructure in cities:

• Simple things such as fixing potholes and puddles on roads lead to significant reductions in travel time and should be an important city government priority.
• Governments often seek to address transportation needs by launching new projects, but the existing stock of roads will always be more important than network additions. Making better use of the existing network is key. 
• Roads should be constructed with space for pavements, bus bays, and smoother bends. It will reduce chances for road accidents and considerably reduce the accident rates and extra expenses on road repairs.
• Dedicated pedestrian pathways: Encouraging pedestrian foot traffic in a city is not just right for the environment, because pedestrians are also a great way to boost the local economy.
• Cycling corridors: It offer cyclists a more convenient and efficient way to travel throughout the city, and by separating cyclists from vehicles, city planners are able to reduce the chances of injuries or deaths.

Roads are the arteries through which the economy pulses. By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals, roads are vital to any development agenda.