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The absence of wayside amenities along national highways might soon be a thing of the past. The government has identified 39 spots along the highways to set up passengers friendly facilities. These include parking, restaurants, low-cost eateries (dhabas), telephone booths, Wi-Fi, automated teller machines (ATMs), fuel stations, rest rooms, dormitories, repair shops, chemist shops, and handicraft shops, among others.
The proposed project will have separate facilities for car/bus passengers and truck drivers to cater to their diverse requirements. The facilities would take around two years to come up. The project will be developed on the public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the government offering land to private developers for 30 years on lease. According to sources, all the facilities will have a similar façade and architecture, but interiors might be different. A brand name for the facility will be announced soon.
The ministry of road transport & highways and the National Highways Authority of India have entrusted Indian Highway Management Company with the development and management of these amenities.
“We already have land in our possession, which will be given to the developers on lease. Private developers will set up the facility on build-operate-transfer basis. The proposed facility will be spread over two-five hectares and will have standard design and dimensions. There will be three categories of wayside amenities depending on land availability, feasibility and the volume of traffic at a particular location,” said sources.
The three categories are: Comprehensive amenities including fuel station with separate facilities at one site for all types of users; amenities for car and bus users including fuel station; and facilities for truck users including fuel station.
“We are in the process of finalising RFPs (request for proposal) and, hopefully, we would invite bids for setting up wayside amenities by February this year,” said an official.
Currently, travellers on the national highways face lack of proper amenities such as clean toilets and hygienic restaurants.
Even where such facilities are available, they do not meet the diverse requirements of different categories of road users such as car / bus passengers and truck drivers/transporters.
Especially for drivers, the lack of such facilities results in insufficient rest and, therefore, lack of alertness while driving.
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The proposed project will have separate facilities for car/bus passengers and truck drivers to cater to their diverse requirements. The facilities would take around two years to come up. The project will be developed on the public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the government offering land to private developers for 30 years on lease. According to sources, all the facilities will have a similar façade and architecture, but interiors might be different. A brand name for the facility will be announced soon.
The ministry of road transport & highways and the National Highways Authority of India have entrusted Indian Highway Management Company with the development and management of these amenities.
“We already have land in our possession, which will be given to the developers on lease. Private developers will set up the facility on build-operate-transfer basis. The proposed facility will be spread over two-five hectares and will have standard design and dimensions. There will be three categories of wayside amenities depending on land availability, feasibility and the volume of traffic at a particular location,” said sources.
The three categories are: Comprehensive amenities including fuel station with separate facilities at one site for all types of users; amenities for car and bus users including fuel station; and facilities for truck users including fuel station.
“We are in the process of finalising RFPs (request for proposal) and, hopefully, we would invite bids for setting up wayside amenities by February this year,” said an official.
Currently, travellers on the national highways face lack of proper amenities such as clean toilets and hygienic restaurants.
Even where such facilities are available, they do not meet the diverse requirements of different categories of road users such as car / bus passengers and truck drivers/transporters.
Especially for drivers, the lack of such facilities results in insufficient rest and, therefore, lack of alertness while driving.
