National highways to get basic amenities

NEW DELHI: Planning an intercity road trip but anxious about the absence of basic facilities along the road? Driving long distance on India’s national highways may no longer be a taxing affair with the government planning to provide amenities such as washrooms, drinking water and multi-utility shops every 25 km.

NEW DELHI: Planning an inter-city road trip but anxious about the absence of basic facilities along the road? Driving long distance on India’s national highways may no longer be a taxing affair with the government planning to provide amenities such as washrooms, drinking water and multi-utility shops every 25 km.

A larger complex of services — rest areas for drivers, washrooms, bathing areas, restaurants, big multi-utility shops and adequate parking facilities — will be built every 50 kilometres.

The road transport ministry has unveiled a draft policy to standardise highway wayside amenities that are scarce and unevenly distributed.

“In some highways you have good restaurants and washrooms but in many stretches you have skeletal facilities. In remote areas, wayside amenities are non-existent. So we decided to come out with a policy that has set uniform standard,” said an official. The highways ministry will invite private players to build, operate and maintain the facilities for a fixed number of years. “We are exploring various modes of developing such facilities and augmenting the existing facilities,” another official added.

The ministry is exploring modes of developing these services. These include development, operations and maintenance on a public-private partnership mode.