Discuss the present position of road transport in India. What are their problems?

Ans. 

Introduction:

Road transport is the most ancient mode of transportation. Roads have been given special importance in our country since ancient times. Sher Shah had built several national highways during his reign to enable easy movement of army from one place to another. Many roads were also constructed during the British period. But the state of roads in India remained very concerning until before the Second World War. Some important roads were developed during the war period for military purposes.  

Though India has one of the largest road networks in the world, its present condition is not satisfactory. Compared to rail and air routes, the growth of roads has been very slow in our country. Both roads and vehicles plying on them are inadequate for our requirements. Total road length in 1950-51 before the First Five Year Plan was just 4 lakh km out of which only 1.57 lakh km were paved roads.

Road transport has been emphasized in India's Five Year Plans. 

• In the First Plan, Rs 147 crores were spent on road development. About 16,000 km of paved and 32,000 km of unpaved roads were constructed. 
• Second Plan allocated Rs 242 crores for roads. By the end of this plan, total road length reached 5.24 lakh km comprising 2.63 lakh km paved and 2.61 lakh km unpaved roads. A 20 year road development plan from 1967-1981 was formulated in 1958 with special focus on rural and backward areas. 
• In the Third Plan, Rs 440 crores and in the Fourth Plan about Rs 822 crores were spent on roads. In 1971-72, total road length increased to 11.3 lakh km including 4.72 lakh km of paved roads. 
• Seventh Plan divided roads into three categories for balanced and coordinated development - (i) arterial roads including national highways, (ii) feeder and link roads including state and district roads, and (iii) rural and other district roads. During the Seventh Plan, Rs 6,179.75 crores were allocated to roads. In March 1996, total road length was about 33.2 lakh km which increased to 45 lakh km in 2006-07.  

Thus, considerable improvement in road transport has happened due to our Five Year Plans. But given the size and population of the country, it is still inadequate.  

Some major problems of road transport in India are:

(i) Inadequacy of roads - 

Considering area and population, road length in India is very low. Roads per 100 sq km area is about 40 km out of which only 14.8 km are paved. Roads per lakh population are 293 km including just 86 km of paved roads. Comparison with other countries clearly shows the inadequacy of roads in India. Even a small country like Sri Lanka has over 64 km of roads per 100 sq km comprising about 58 km of paved roads. 

(ii) Uneven distribution - 

Apart from overall inadequacy, roads are also unevenly distributed across different regions. A small state like Kerala has a total road length of 1.13 lakh km while vast Uttar Pradesh has 1.63 lakh km and West Bengal only 57,000 km. Distribution between urban and rural areas is also highly skewed with many villages still without any roads. Link roads connecting villages to main roads and rail routes are essential especially for agricultural marketing but lacking. 

(iii) Low quality of roads - 

The condition of roads in India is very poor. Unpaved roads become totally unfit during monsoons. Even internal and district level paved roads are unsuitable for heavy and high speed vehicles. Poor road quality is a major hindrance in development of modern means of transport. 

(iv) Shortage of vehicles - 

Due to inadequate and poor road conditions, India also faces shortage of vehicles. Total number of motor vehicles including motorcycles, scooters etc. is about 2.3 million. Against 257 vehicles per 1000 population in Japan, India has only 3.5. Even developing countries like Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have higher vehicle density compared to population and roads than India.

(v) High transportation costs - 

Due to poor road conditions, transportation costs are relatively much higher in India. The Keskar Committee estimated that improving road conditions can reduce transportation costs by up to 100%. Good roads enable heavier vehicles to carry more goods and passengers at lower costs. 

Clearly, the state of roads and road transport in India is highly unsatisfactory. A World Bank survey identified road transportation as the most critical weakness in India's transportation system, a major roadblock for economic development.