The Government is planning to create road bays along the national highways to give rest lay-bys to the tired drivers. The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in a meeting on Thursday decided to develop these bays to help road users break their long journeys at safe places.
According to the Ministry, this will not just help provide spaces to rest for the drivers, but will also be equipped with basic facilities like toilets, drinking water and food kiosks.
“The rising trend in long distance haulage necessitates availability of adequate resting places along the routes,” said Oscar Fernandes, MoRTH Minister, while speaking at the 15th Meeting of Consultative Committee.
“The Ministry has decided to develop research and test reaches from budgetary resources which will for the time being serve the purpose of rest lay bys for the road users, providing basic facilities,” he said.
According to officials in the Ministry, this has been decided as a confidence building measure and with a view to bring in new emerging materials and technologies to conserve scarce natural resources and bring in cost effectiveness. Fernandes said that these bays would be maintained through public-private participation.
Officials in the ministry said that the measure would also help bring down road accidents. “Drivers, especially those behind the heavy commercial vehicles would have space to park and rest while undertaking long road journeys,” said an official from the ministry.
Statistics with the Centre show that in 80 per cent of the accidents that occur on Indian roads every year, the drivers are to be blamed. Sitting up and acting on the same, the MoRTH has not just decided to train the drivers but also fine-tune the driving license test.
The study with the ministry shows that of the 4.98 lakh road accidents in 2012, in 78 per cent cases, drivers were at fault, although the statistics do not categorically state the errors. “Implementation of schemes and laws needs to be monitored closely to help bring down road clashes,” he said.