Panaji, July 10: While the 237th Mid-Term Council Meeting of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC) in Goa highlighted the vision of building “safer, smarter and future-ready road infrastructure,” serious questions are being raised over whether mandatory road safety and quality monitoring norms prescribed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) are being effectively implemented on Goa’s National Highways.

The four-day conference, inaugurated by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, brought together policymakers, engineers, researchers and road experts from across the country to discuss innovation, research and the future of India’s road infrastructure. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said Goa is committed to developing safer and smarter road infrastructure under the guidance of the Central Government.

However, road safety experts have pointed out that discussions on futuristic infrastructure should also focus on strict compliance with existing engineering and safety standards on roads already in use.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ circular dated 13 November 2019, the use of a Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) is mandatory for all National Highway projects involving development, widening and strengthening. The guidelines require detailed digital surveys of road conditions before commencement of work, before issue of completion certificates and periodically after completion.

The NSV system records pavement condition, roughness, rutting, potholes, shoulder conditions, drainage systems, medians, crash barriers, signages, road markings, cross-drainage structures and other safety features using AI-enabled cameras, GPS mapping and geo-tagged imagery. The objective is to ensure a uniform riding surface, scientifically monitor road quality and enhance road safety.

Questions are now being raised as to whether these mandatory NSV surveys have been carried out on Goa’s major National Highways, including:

• NH-66 (Patradevi to Pollem, including service roads)
• NH-748 (Panaji to Anmod)
• NH-566 (Farmagudi to Vasco)
• NH-366
• NH-748AA (Sakhali to Chorla Ghat)

Road safety observers say these highways continue to witness uneven riding surfaces, drainage issues, damaged shoulders, inadequate signage, unsafe service roads and other engineering deficiencies that directly impact commuter safety.

The 2019 MoRTH guidelines also require geo-tagged documentation of road inventory and defects and mandate that survey data be uploaded to the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) for monitoring and maintenance planning.

Experts argue that compliance with these standards is as important as discussing new infrastructure projects. They contend that improving road quality is not limited to constructing new highways but also ensuring that existing roads are built, maintained and certified in accordance with prescribed engineering norms.

The concerns have prompted calls for the Public Works Department (National Highway Division) and the National Highways authorities to clarify whether mandatory Network Survey Vehicle surveys have been conducted on Goa’s National Highways, whether the survey reports are available, and what corrective measures have been undertaken based on those findings.

Road safety advocates maintain that conferences and policy discussions must ultimately translate into measurable improvements on the ground, with greater emphasis on engineering quality, transparency, maintenance standards and compliance with national road safety guidelines to reduce accidents and improve the overall condition of Goa’s highway network.