Discuss giving examples, the importance of generation, up
gradation or improvement of technology.
Ans :
Despite impressive expansion over the years, the entire
Indian transport network is characterised by many deficiencies and a major
exercise in expansion of capacity and modernisation is necessary. This will
have to be accompanied by technological upgradation in many critical areas. The
need for new technology acquires immediate relevance since the transport sector
has been suffering from a technological freeze for a long time. The magnitude
of the tasks of capacity augmentation and replacement of overaged assets offer
an opportunity for technological upgradation in each of the transport
sub-sectors.
4.2 Although some attempts were made at technological
upgradation in the past, a renewed concerted effort is needed in order to
ensure that the Indian Railways catapult itself to a high growth trajectory
over the next decade.
4.3 Despite accelerated track renewal programmes taken up
during Seventh and Eighth Five Year Plans, about 11,000 kms. of track length
was overdue for renewal at the start of the Ninth Plan. The total requirement
of railway track renewal during the Ninth Five Year Plan is estimated at 24000
kms. The increased frequency of engine failures, hot mix detachments, rail
fractures and other track failures and the tardy working of signalling and
telecommunication equipment put a question mark on the reliability of rail
assets. While on the one hand, the poor reliability of assets affects adversely
the productivity of Indian Railways, on the other it threatens to jeopardize
the safety of rail operations. The incidence of asset failure has to be
controlled by providing technology back up to the human element in the area of
train operations in order to enhance safety.
4.4 Our transport network is characterised by a system of
high density corridors (HDC) linking major urban areas. Within the high density
corridors system, the corridors linking up the four major metropolitan cities
(Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals) carry a very heavy volume of traffic
as compared to the existing capacity. The augmentation of capacity of HDC
system should receive high priority. In the case of railways, strengthening of
Golden Quadrilateral would involve doubling/ tripling/ quadrupling in different
sectors according to operational needs and upgradation to higher axle loads.
Construction of bypasses for major cities and upgradation of passenger and
freight terminals is also needed to augment capacity on the busy sections of
Indian Railways.
4.5 The railways must focus on reducing the speed
differentials between freight and passenger services by raising speeds of
freight cars to 100 km/hr. This will help improve traffic throughput in the
system. It is also necessary to improve freight car designs to secure higher
pay load to tare ratios for freight and to improve speeds. Locomotive
technology is being improved through adoption of latest-state-of-the art locos
as well as upgradation of existing fleet through retrofitment. This process
must be accelerated. Mechanisation of track maintenance is another area which
should receive higher priority.
4.6 In order to promote intermodalism for safe, efficient,
customer friendly and faster movement of goods, there is need to increase
Inland Container Depots (ICDs). The Railways have to increasingly focus on
creation of rail hubs with sufficient warehousing facilities and accelerate the
programme of containerisation not only to promote intermodal transport but also
for increasing its market share and catering to high value traffic. Indian
Railways have also initiated facilities like Roll on – Roll off on the Konkan
Railway. This arrangement enables loading of a truck directly on a flat thereby
avoiding movement of longhaul traffic in hilly and difficult terrain through
road transport. Such facilities need to be replicated.
4.7 The augmentation of capacity of the existing High Density
Corridors should receive high priority. A massive programme of upgradation of
HDCs in the highways involving about 12,000 kms. has already been announced.
Within this, the development of the four major corridors of the Golden
Quadrilateral linking Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta must be given highest
priority. Development of North-South and East-West corridors should be
incorporated in the existing alignment of Golden Quadrangle by the addition of
spurs and spines which would expand the alignment from North-South and
East-West extremities. The spine and grid system also needs to serve a number
of important ports and industrial centres through suitable spur connections.
With such an approach it would be possible to optimise the utilisation of
resources and at the same time ensure improved accessibility and mobility. The
upgradation of HDC system in roads must be integrated with parallel efforts in
railways so that each mode can perform the job for which it is best suited on
the basis of its comparative advantage and also provide competition when
appropriate.
4.8 Some of the State Highways carry heavy traffic. HDCs on
the State Highway Network should be developed in such a way that they may
provide a feeder system to the rail and National Highway network. There are
several deficiencies at present, in the form of missing links, weak and narrow
bridges and the absence of bypasses. These should receive higher priority than
the extension of the network itself. The priority for linking up villages and
habitation with all weather roads is too obvious to need any emphasis.
Programme for construction of rural roads under various schemes needs to be
integrated and co-ordinated under one umbrella in the State sector.
4.9 India is committed to the concept of development of Asian
Highway network for the economic and social growth of the region and has been
taking all possible measures to develop the routes within India and establish
linkages with neighbouring countries. Two priority international routes pass
through India, the first commencing from Pakistan border and terminating at
Bangladesh border and the second starting from Delhi, going to Nepal and
finally Bangladesh. Such road transport linkages will facilitate the movement
of goods and people across the BIMST-EC countries along Asian Highway routes.
The major development works on other Asian Highway routes would be completed on
priority. Efforts towards development of Trans Asian Railway Network are also
important in this regard and need to be encouraged.
4.10 The existing road network is now showing signs of
serious deterioration because of neglect of maintenance. Continuance of this is
highly uneconomic. A rupee spent on maintenance saves two to three rupees in
vehicle operating cost besides providing a very cost effective option to
improving traffic flow. Serious attention is required to improve the situation.
Maintenance operations should be given to the private contractors in order to
secure the benefits of competitive price and quality.
4.11 There is an urgent need for the introduction of the new
technology in the designs, engineering and construction methods as also
carrying out surveys through remote sensing techniques particularly in the
upgradation of the roads which are covered by the HDC. Use of machines to
improve both the quality and speed of construction need to be pursued more
vigorously. The possibility of creating engineering leasing companies need to
be encouraged. The concept of awarding big road projects as turnkey Engineering
Procurement Construction (EPC) contracts, would help reduce construction time
and improve quality. The Public Works Departments of the States also need to be
thoroughly modernised. These steps would help in reducing by at least 50% the
abnormally high time taken for construction of roads. Several new materials of
road construction are emerging such as polymer modified bitumen, geosynthetics
etc. that would need to be encouraged depending upon the cost effectiveness.
For rural roads, use of local material need to be maximised to economise on
investments.
4.12 There has been substantial induction of new technology
in passenger transport segment, particularly in personalised vehicles, though
there is almost no progress in so far as bus transport is concerned. More
importantly there has been technological stagnation in the field of road
freight transport business. Low diesel prices in the past and extreme
overloading made possible by lax implementation of rules and regulations which
themselves are not very stringent, unhelpful, tax regime and congested roads -
all militate against the introduction of new technology in the trucking
industry. There is an urgent need that the country should profit from the
increased use of low tare weight and heavy haul multi axle trucks which are
more fuel efficient.
4.13 Multi-axle vehicles cause much less damage to roads than
two axle trucks. These vehicles offer cost reduction not merely in terms of
lower line-haul cost per tonne km. but in terms of increased loading/unloading
efficiency and maximum interchangeability of loads between vehicles and modes.
Since the benefits in terms of lower road damage do not accrue to the user, it
is necessary to use differential taxation on multi-axled vehicles to encourage
their use.
4.14 Octroi and sales tax barrier lead to unnecessary
detention apart from causing avoidable harassment and adding to operating cost.
At present 5 States and 3 UTs levy octroi. Beginning with small localities
these states may also phase out levy of octroi. While sales tax barriers may be
necessary to check evasion of tax revenue, it is necessary that these barriers
may be only at the entry and exit points of States and not enroute.
Streamlining the procedures and computerisation of sales tax posts may help in
reducing detention time and also curbing malpractices.
4.15 Safety of operation
is an area of concern in all modes of transport. The sheer magnitude and
severity of road accidents require immediate attention. The number of
fatalities on Indian roads has increased to 60,000 per annum which is
completely unacceptable. India’s share in the world vehicle population is only
4.2% whereas in terms of fatality it is 9%. The severity of accidents in India
is evident from the fact that 1 person gets killed out of 5 accidents whereas
in other countries a fatality occurs out of 10 to 70 accidents. The total
estimated loss on account of accidents in the country is estimated at Rs. 6,000
crore per year. A multi pronged attack encompassing engineering, education and
enforcement of regulatory provisions is the need of the hour to tackle this
problem.
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