The Union Urban Development Ministry wants a clamp down on the current practice of laying and relaying road surfaces each time works such as drainage improvement or footpath maintenance are carried out. The Ministry has proposed construction, operation and maintenance work of roads, especially the arterial ones, to be carried out in a cohesive manner and through a public private partnership (PPP) model.
Citing the example of Thiruvananthapuram where a concessionaire was picked for the city roads improvement project, which has been deemed successful, the Ministry has written to all State Governments to follow the model.
“As of now there is no integrated way of constructing and managing arterial roads. In some places the traditional system of repairing the road is relaying the bituminous coat, which raised the road level by 40 mm; this practise has led to roads in some cities rising so high that it has impaired the storm drainage system, leading to flooding of homes and properties. Manhole covers too often get buried under these re-laid layers," explained S.K. Lohia, OSD-Urban Transport.
The Ministry is also pushing for PPP to address issues of financial constraints. The Working Group on Urban Transport for the 12th Five Year Plan had recommended allocating Rs. 167,218 crore for development and upgrading street network, but urban local bodies had cited their "insufficient" budgetary allocations for not being able to generate and spare the amount. PPP, therefore, is being cited as a possible option for meeting the fund shortfall and for fast tracking the investment.
"In Kerala a concessionaire — a consortium of IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited and Punj Lloyd — was given the task of development, operation and maintenance of urban roads, the land acquisition and financial risks were borne by the government, while the concessionaire was responsible for all investment. The recovery for the concessionaire has been done through annuity payments from the road fund. This model does away with the current practice of giving out road repair work in small contracts with short liability periods in case of defects," Mr. Lohia said.
In Thiruvananthapuram, the concessionaire was responsible for widening of corridors, geometric improvement and strengthening of road surfaces, improvement of junctions, culverts and minor bridges and providing footpaths, signalised pedestrian crossings, signages, solar based traffic signals and high mast lighting apart from storm water drains and roadside tree plantation.
