Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Tuesday that the total length of national highways (NH) in the country has increased by approximately 59% in the last nine years, making India the second-largest road network in the world after the USA.
Speaking at a press conference, Gadkari said, “The total length of National Highways was 91,287 km in 2013-14, which has increased to 1,45,240 km in 2022-23, marking a rise of more than 59% during this period. Over the past nine years, the length of 4-lane national highways has nearly doubled. In 2013-14, the length of 4-lane NH was 18,371 km, which has now increased to 44,654 km.”
The minister emphasized the special focus on expanding the road highway network in the NorthEast region, where projects worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore are currently underway. Additionally, he mentioned the development of 670 roadside facilities along the national highways to enhance travelers’ experience.
Gadkari also highlighted the significant increase in toll collection due to the introduction of FASTag.
He stated that toll revenues rose from Rs 4,770 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 41,342 crore in 2022-23. The government aims to further increase toll revenue to Rs 1,30,000 crore by 2030, he added. The implementation of FASTag has not only boosted toll collection but also reduced waiting times at toll plazas.
“In 2014, the waiting time at toll plazas was 734 seconds, whereas in 2023, it has reduced to 47 seconds. We are optimistic that we will bring it down to 30 seconds soon,” Gadkari said.
The minister pointed to the transformative impact of FASTag on travel experiences in India, saying it has revolutionized toll payments by eliminating the need for cash transactions. Research indicates that this breakthrough has saved approximately Rs 70,000 crore in wasted fuel expenses caused by waiting at toll plazas.
Gadkari also discussed the success of the NHAI’s INVIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust) model, which witnessed overwhelming response. Within the first day of its availability on the Mumbai Stock Exchange, the bond saw seven times oversubscription. He urged investors to consider investing in NHAI INVIT, which offers an attractive interest rate of 8.05%, surpassing traditional bank rates.
Highlighting the ministry’s commitment to green initiatives, Gadkari mentioned that NHAI has transplanted over 68,000 trees and planted 3.86 crore trees over the past nine years. Furthermore, the NHAI has developed more than 1,500 “amrit sarovars” (holy ponds) along the national highways across the country as part of water rejuvenation initiatives.
