The Hindu : Steps mooted to overhaul roads

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 07, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Steps mooted to overhaul roads

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 6. A series of steps has been mooted to improve and sustain the road infrastructure in the State. This includes timely repair and quality control by using superior materials and the latest technology.

Installing retro-reflective road signs, strengthening and maintaining road shoulders, building bypasses for densely built-up areas and encouraging private sector participation are some of the other suggestions.

The recommendations have been made on the basis of the first-ever Road User Satisfaction Survey (RUSS)-2003 carried out for the Public Works Department in the State Highways (SH) and Major District Roads (MDR) in the 14 districts of the State.

The study has recommended the construction of lanes, footpaths and guard rails for pedestrians and cyclists and bus bays. It calls for improving road geometry by re-aligning sharp curves, widening of roads, building road overbridges, setting up adequate storm water drainage facilities, implementing parking regulations and taking steps to remove encroachments.

The formation of a coordination committee comprising the Public Works Department and other utility departments, taking steps to implement a Performance Improvement Programme (PIP) and prioritising activities in the road transport sector have also been mooted in the draft report submitted to the Government recently.

The RUSS, second of its kind in Asia, was carried out by Wilbur Smith Associates, a consultancy firm and the Centre for Management Development (CMD) under the World Bank-aided Kerala State Transport Project, at a cost of Rs. 23 lakhs.

Speaking to The Hindu, the Director of the CMD, M. Sivaraman, said the final report of `RUSS Kerala 2003' would be submitted after incorporating the suggestions that came up in the dissemination workshop held in the capital recently.

The overall satisfaction level regarding road characteristics for both State highways and major district roads was found to be 10 per cent lower than average satisfaction. It was seen that only 75 per cent of the actual road width is available for vehicle use on account of buses stopping on the roads and road side parking.

Road users have expressed concern over congestion, roadside parking, improper curves, insufficient width, presence of level crossings, bad condition of shoulders and poor storm water drainage. The damage caused by other utility works, overspeeding of vehicles, absence of pedestrian facilities and cycle tracks, absence of proper highway lighting and unhealthy road surroundings were also factors that caused consternation among road users.

In the case of road signs, the users pointed out that proper road signs were absent on both the State highways and major district roads. Drivers' negligence, road defects such as poor geometry and condition, absence of road signs and roadside parking were cited as the main reasons for accidents involving motor vehicles.

The major causes for accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists have been found to be on account of the fault of vehicle drivers, absence of pedestrian and cyclist facilities and bad road condition.

Overspeeding and high volume of traffic, absence of facilities for pedestrians and cycle tracks and reckless driving of motorists have been attributed as the reasons for the unsafe travel of pedestrians and cyclists.

Other inconveniences cited are the rallies and processions on roads and erecting of decorative structures reducing the road width, parking and roadside loading and unloading operations, presence of wayside eateries and other shops causing traffic interruption due to the parking of vehicles in front of them. The user ratings have shown that the Public Works Department performance over the years has not reached a reasonable level of acceptance.

Widening of roads and bridges, maintenance of existing roads and bridges, strengthening of weak bridges and improvisation in the quality of construction are the areas in which the road users want the PWD to focus more in the coming days.

Road users are for increased private participation in the road sector, strengthening of the PWD technically and financially, compulsory provision for roadside amenities, transparency in PWD's road development plans and involvement of citizen groups. A majority of the road users have disagreed to the proposal to raise funds from user levies and cess on fuel.

About 5,000 road users covering vehicle drivers, owners, pedestrians, cyclists, bus and truck operators, NGOs and journalists were enumerated for the study.

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