With an aim to enhance road safety and strengthen highway patrolling, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the central road making agency will implement an upgraded and forward-looking Incident Management Services. The guidelines on the subject include updated specifications for new Route Patrolling Vehicles (RPVs) named ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ and outlines design, functions, technology, components and manpower specifications for the RPVs.

The RPVs conduct inspection of National Highway stretches to monitor and respond to emergency situations. In the existing RPVs, the rear space is open for keeping instruments and equipment to support in case of emergency situations. However, due to open space, the operators were not able to keep these equipment in a well organised manner, which at times led to delays in taking prompt action.

In order to overcome such a situation, the rear or trunk of RPV has now been replaced by a closed cabinet with dedicated space for different equipment and inventory. The shelves have been created to provide quick & easy access to different equipment during the emergency situations and is a significant upgrade from the earlier RPVs.

Additional advanced feature of this new RPV is the provision for dashboard cameras equipped with ‘AI video analytics’ to capture and identify cracks & potholes as well as other elements including vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and other infrastructure assets. The data/ video footage including road distresses shall be collected on a weekly basis by NHAI and this road distress data shall be integrated with NHAI One application for more efficient maintenance of roads.

The guidelines for ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ RPVs include detailed specifications related to the use of vehicle, equipment and manpower. To ensure service fitness of the vehicle, the RPV shall be replaced with a new RPV, once it has exceeded run of 3,00,000 km or has been in operation for three years.

Special emphasis has been laid on branding and external appearance of the RPVs to maximise its visibility as a Highway Patrol Services on the National Highways. Equipped with the advanced communication and safety tools, these vehicles will be useful in minimising traffic disruptions, improving road safety and enhancing overall road user experience along the National Highways.

In order to provide a distinct and professional look, the uniform of the PV Personnel has also been redesigned to include brilliant blue colour along with a jacket with reflective stripes and authority logos for easy identification.

Route Patrolling Operations play a critical role in maintaining safety, providing incident management and ensuring smooth flow of traffic on National Highways. The NHAI is committed to enhancing road safety standards as well as providing a seamless and pleasant travel experience to all National Highway users across the country.