To Improve the Health and State of Indian Roads

The turn for a post on reflections on home nation or India round-up has arrived. There are a host of avenues which needs to be addressed but if I chose one that require an urgent change and relevant to everyone, it is the roadways or the network connecting India through road and its associated infrastructure. I am stressing this point since I had seen and felt the roads of India all my life and those in U.S. for nearly four years. The difference is huge if the roads in India and U.S. are compared. You feel a sharp pain at seeing this Himalayan gap in state of affairs of roads in both these countries. Let me tell succinctly in one line - ‘Roads are a mirror to a nations progress and Road usage is a mirror to nations discipline.’ The bitter truth is the reflection you see in the mirror for India is an ugly figure. Can’t the nation with 1.4 billion deserve a better public life and better roads when one comes out. Why is the nation with 1 billion lesser population and much larger dimensions i.e. U.S. has spotless roads in all corners of the country. Looking at the glaring difference in U.S., I feel spell bound and an upset stomach, unable to digest the overflowing correctness. 

The correct expectation and a standard to achieve is the citizens of the nation deserve correct roads to travel from government at all levels. More than an expectation, it is basic right – A right to safe, sound and smooth travel. It is incorrect, inconsistent, incongruent, irresponsible and inattentive from government at all levels when it fails to provide this basic requirement. When I come out of my house, I travel on a road for which hardly anyone cares when there are potholes. The roads with potholes is the most common sight in India and it is a luxury when there are none. The officials treat it as a luxurious dispensation when they repair a road which is done very rarely. Our mindsets need to be tuned to agree that providing good roads is a basic responsibility and travelling on good roads is a basic right of every Indian, not a costly luxury. I travelled on pathetic roads all my life other than the period when a minister travels on them; during which they get salvation and a makeover. When can these attitudes be changed, activated, reacted to a much better world elsewhere. The change should be around the corner, else this development in U.S. has no meaning, and that under-development in India also has no meaning – for this development failed to inspire and that under-development failed to receive the lesson.

 

I travelled by road at length last year after a month of reaching U.S. I felt the sophistication back then but waited till now to post on this subject to see much more comprehensively. What I saw is nothing short of wonder as far as road networks in U.S. are concerned. I travelled in big cities, smaller cities, towns, remote ranch roads, local roads, highways, interchanges etc where you cannot find even a minor defect. The uniformity in finding consistently good roads is the commonplace hallmark at all these places. The planning is top-notch at these places to travel by night as well. In the U.S., the vast majority of populated areas are connected by roads, including highways, streets, and other forms of transportation infrastructure with few exceptions.

  

Coming to the case of India, the big cities got good roads just around the turn of this new century. I still remember people like us celebrated good roads in not entire state but just the capital city of Hyderabad, 20 years back, which were laid under the good work of one regime. If the capitals got this makeover just a few decades back, it would be hard to have high expectations elsewhere. But the growing population and their needs are hardly met by the shabby construction and maintenance of roads. Just consider this – India has second largest road network size in world with 6.7 million kms of road length all over the country, 1.5 million kms more than China and just behind U.S. at 6.83 million kms. Indian roads need to carry 85% of passenger traffic and 71% of freight traffic by considering the over 1.4 billion population who depend on them. When there is a bulging population willing to come out and travel for every minor need, the pace of developing the road infrastructure to cater to their needs is abysmally slow and low across the country. As a result, we are staring at the situation where the second largest road network with one of the highest densities and the highest population are living in 21st century with worst public road infrastructure.

  

I would like to look at the glaring differences between the first and second largest road networks in the world. Indian and American roads differ in several ways due to variations in infrastructure, traffic management, and cultural factors. But still, a good public utility is everyone's aspiration and hope beyond a basic necessity. Here are various factors and plain lessons to learn from U.S.

 

Infrastructure:

 

American roads are generally well-maintained, with smooth surfaces, clear lane markings, and modern traffic management systems. In contrast, Indian roads vary widely in quality, with some major highways being well-maintained, while many rural and urban roads may have potholes, uneven surfaces, and inadequate signage. 

 

Road Size and Layout: 

 

American roads tend to be wider and have multiple lanes, allowing for smoother traffic flow. Indian roads, especially in older cities, can be narrow and congested, making traffic management more challenging. 

 

Traffic Density: 

 

Indian roads often experience high traffic density, especially in urban areas, leading to congestion and slower traffic. American roads can also have congestion in major cities but generally have more extensive highway systems to handle traffic. 

 

Driving Behavior: 

 

Driving behavior can vary significantly between the two countries. In India, it's common to see a mix of vehicles, including motorcycles, scooters, rickshaws, and even animals sharing the road with cars. This can lead to chaotic traffic conditions and a higher risk of accidents. In the U.S., traffic rules are generally well-enforced, and there's a higher degree of adherence to road regulations. 

 

Safety: 

 

American roads generally have higher safety standards and better enforcement of traffic rules, resulting in lower accident rates compared to India, where road safety can be a major concern due to factors like reckless driving, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to emergency services in rural areas. 

 

Signage and Signals: 

 

American roads typically have clear and standardized signage and traffic signals, making navigation easier for drivers. In India, while major roads and highways have adequate signage, smaller roads and rural areas may lack proper signage and lighting. 

 

Road Maintenance: 

 

The maintenance of American roads is generally consistent, with regular repairs and upgrades. In India, road maintenance can be inconsistent, leading to quicker wear and tear, especially during the monsoon season. 

 

Road Etiquette: 

 

While both countries have their own road etiquettes, American drivers often follow more structured and formal rules, such as yielding at intersections and obeying traffic signals. In India, there is a mix of formal rules and more informal practices influenced by local customs and norms. In short, the road etiquette begs for vast improvement in India. 

 

Traffic Management Technology: 

 

American roads often incorporate advanced technologies for traffic management, such as electronic toll collection, traffic cameras, and real-time traffic updates through GPS and smartphone apps. India is also making strides in adopting similar technologies but may not be as widespread. It is a wonder that without being a human presence on roads like a traffic police, vehicular movement is thoroughly regularized in U.S. The same is miles behind in India where there are not many rules or adherence to those, even with the presence of a number of traffic personnel on roads. 

 

It's important to note that these comparisons are generalized, without much specific details and there are significant variations within each country.

The present government’s excellent push for an infrastructure upgrade has led to an unprecedented 50,000 kilometres of National Highways - the country's arteries - being added in the last 9 years, according to official data. India had a total of 97,830 km of National Highways in 2014-15 which has been expanded to 145,155 km by March 2023. But this is still inadequate, the national highways which are being developed and the city roads which are good just constitute 3 to 5% of total network. We are talking about a good thousands of Kms when the bigger picture holds millions of Kms. The revolution has started at the top and it needs to percolate to the bottom. There has to be coordinated efforts from all sides, levels of governance including central, state, district, local, village bodies to bring a national policy, have uniform rules and develop all the roads according to those standards. The time has come now, and it is more than ripe to put negligence aside, participate collectively to develop, maintain and beautify our public pathways. The American roads are good even if few hundreds use, but if there are scores of us who depend on every small road at any corner of country, they need to be top-notch. The time has come to give a major filip to the important public utility and infrastructure after all the hard steps taken in the last decade or more. In short, the Indian roads need to uplifted to a better state at a fast pace in a symbolic equivalence to a rocket taking off for Chandrayan moon mission.