Delhi Dialogues | ‘Highways function as economic corridor’

What is the rate of road accidents? This is a big concern. How can we make road travel safe?Road safety remains a major concern, with speeding the leading cause of accidents. We have a multi-layered strategy: eliminating accident-prone “dark spots,” deploying AI in highway design, and integrating smart traffic management systems. More than 14,000 dark spots, defined as locations with 10 or more fatalities annually, have been corrected.Emergency response has expanded. A 24×7 helpline, over 4,000 ambulances on national highways, and free treatment up to `1.5 lakh for accident victims aim to reduce fatalities.While you are expanding expressways and generating revenue, what steps are being taken to improve roadside amenities?Modern highways must serve people, not just vehicles. Wayside amenities at 90-km intervals now include fuel stations, EV charging stations, toilets, food courts, truck driver dormitories, and bathing facilities. These are long-term leases. Maintenance and cleanliness are built into the model. For transporters, reduced travel time translates directly into profit. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will cut travel from 34 hours to 13-14 hours. When fuel is saved, pollution is reduced and productivity is doubled.Apple has challenged a penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). What is the status of the digital competition framework?The CCI will prevent monopolisation. A separate digital competition framework is under consultation, with a deeper study underway to ensure robustness.I emphasise regulatory simplification. The MCA portal, launched in 2017, reduced the time to company incorporation from up to 100 days to under 48 hours. Eleven mandatory registrations are now bundled, enabling companies to operate immediately. Voluntary strike-off processes have been automated, with fixed timelines and deemed approvals. A single-window system now integrates clearances across ministries and states.



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