Issues with India’s Road Infrastructure Expansion

Source-This post on Issues with India’s Road Infrastructure Expansion has been created based on the article “Road mobility in India: Both unsustainable and unjust” published in “Live Mint” on 5 June 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper 3 – Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.

Context– The article highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to road infrastructure development that considers not only capacity expansion but also maintenance, design, and demand management. It will achieve sustainable mobility and meet India’s environmental commitments.

The yearly budget for the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been going up steadily, with a big 25% increase last year. Moreover, there has been a shift in the ratio between capital and revenue expenditures, moving from about 50:50 in 2014-15 to approximately 90:10 presently. This shift indicates a greater emphasis on constructing new road infrastructure over maintaining existing roads.

What is the current state of India’s road infrastructure?

India has made significant progress in expanding its road infrastructure, a fact easily observed. Historically, this expansion has been rationalized because India only has 5.13km of road for every 1,000 people, while the US has over 20km, and China has 3.6km for every 1,000 people.

What are the issues with existing road infrastructure?

1) Deteriorating Road Quality– It leads to increased accidents, decreased fuel efficiency, and higher pollution levels. India account for about 11% of all deaths globally due to accidents each year. This is the highest in the world.

A detailed article on road accidents can be read here.

2) Environmental Pollution– The transportation sector, especially road transport, is a big source of greenhouse gas emissions, making up around 14% of the total. This contributes to urban air pollution, causing many pollution-related deaths. India has many highly polluted cities, where millions of people breathe air with pollution levels much higher than what’s considered safe.

3) Inadequate Attention to Design and Planning- Recent Road projects in India have lacked proper design and planning, resulting in temporary fixes that just move traffic jams around instead of solving them. Examples include the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and the Dwarka Expressway, which don’t have enough safety measures for pedestrians and poorly planned paths for vehicles and pedestrians.

4) Road Capacity Additions and Challenges with Congestion– Adding more roads is needed to handle more traffic, but as more people use them, it’s harder to reduce congestion. Charging tolls and trying things like odd-even schemes might not work well to control traffic.

5) Neglect of Demand Strategies– Industry and other stakeholders play an important role in demand management, which is crucial for providing effective mobility services. However, there’s too much emphasis on building more roads and not enough on controlling demand. This hits poorer people harder and makes environmental problems worse.

India aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2070 and halve road-related accidents by 2030, but focusing only on expansion of roads will not suffice. Focus should shift towards public and rail transportation modes to mitigate climate and air pollution issues.

Question for practice

What are the issues with existing road infrastructure?