Road Maintenance Realities- Who is responsible for

by | Aug 22, 2023 | FAQ

Road Maintenance Realities
Home » Road Maintenance Realities- Who is responsible for

One of the arguments that come up whenever vehicle inspection is intensified is the dilapidated condition of the roads. It is a regular sight in Kerala that the officials of the Motor Vehicle Department are tricked with the argument that ‘first you repair the road and then you can levy a fine for violation of the law’. Although it is an emotional response, many people do not have an idea about who is actually appointed for road maintenance in Kerala. Or they don’t know exactly who to complain to about the deplorable condition of the road.

In this situation, the state motor vehicle department has prepared a Facebook post with information that sheds light on the above matters. Facebook adds below to understand about road maintenance, who is responsible for it, and where to complain.

When talking about vehicle use, the first complaint that comes up is about dilapidated roads. According to the construction of roads and maintenance duties
  • Express highways
  • National Highways (NH)
  • State Highways (SH)
  • Major district roads
  • Other District Roads (ODR),
  • Village Roads (VR), rural roads
  • City roads

Road Maintenance Realities- Who is responsible for

It is classified as National Highway Authority, State PWD and Corporation/Municipality/Panchayat are responsible for its maintenance.

Among the three components of roads, vehicles, and road users, we have progressed only to an extent in terms of vehicles. In a densely populated state like Kerala, the availability of land is the main challenge in wide road construction as compared to other states.

Although roads and transport are one department in the central government, the fact that it is not the same in Kerala is a limitation in safe transport planning. Police, Motor Vehicle Department, Public Works Department, National Highway Authority, Local Self-Government, and many other agencies cannot be said to work in perfect coordination. To overcome this limitation, the Minister of Transport Department as Chairman and Minister of Public Works Department as Vice Chairman, State Road Safety Authority, and District Collector as ex-officio Chairman District Road Safety Authority have been formed under the Road Safety Authority Act.

Kerala Highway Protection Act

Also, under the Kerala Highway Protection Act (1999) and Section 72 of the Kerala Police Act, which gave more powers to the Public Works Department, traffic control committees have been constituted at panchayat, municipality, and corporation levels.

It is not only the duty and responsibility of any citizen to point out the deficiencies in road construction and maintenance before the above-concerned authority and raise a written complaint for redressal.

NHAI helpline number: 1033 for national highways and in writing to helpline1033@ihmcl.com. Complaints can be made in writing and sought redressal at State PWD’s toll-free number 1800-42527771 or by email at ceroads.pwd@kerala.gov.in. Moreover, complaints can be registered at NHAI’s Regional Office, concerned PWD Office, and Corporation / Municipality / Panchayat Offices.

Transport Authority Act

The Kerala Metropolitan Transport Authority Act and Rules have been enacted to form Metropolitan Transport Authorities to incorporate innovative ideas in urban transport systems and to ensure comprehensive, consistent, and technologically advanced transport. The Kochi MTA, the first of its kind, will soon come into existence.

The attention of every citizen is to raise it in the relevant forums and find a solution the moment they see the possibility of an accident. Civics are more about preventing a potential accident than punishing those responsible for it after the death or accident has occurred. What greater work is there than saving human life?

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Mansoor Ali, a Feature Writer, embarked on his journey five years ago with showroomex.com, fueled by his enthusiasm for cars. Starting as an eager journalist, he quickly became a seasoned professional, expanding his expertise to cover both bikes and cars. (Full Bio)