The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is set to transition from the lowest bidder (L-1) process to a quality-cum-cost based selection for awarding various road projects, according to Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. This move aims to enhance the overall quality of construction and prioritize road safety.
Gadkari announced this shift during the International Road Federations’ event on Vision Zero, focused on achieving road safety through the 5E’s (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, Emergency Care, and Encouragement). The ministry, in collaboration with Maruti Suzuki, is working towards adopting a qualitative tendering process to ensure that safety features are incorporated into project designs, taking into consideration the behavior of road users.
Highlighting the need for safer road engineering, Gadkari expressed concerns about instances where safety features were compromised to reduce costs and make projects financially viable. He emphasized that road engineering plays a significant role in the increasing number of road accidents in the country, stressing the importance of addressing road safety features in detailed project reports (DPR).
KK Kapila, President Emeritus of the International Road Federation (IRF), emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to promoting a safe transportation system. This approach includes addressing road engineering, vehicle engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency care. Implementing the 5 E’s in road safety is expected to result in increased awareness, improved road infrastructure, better compliance with traffic laws, encouragement of responsible behavior, and ongoing refinement of safety measures.