4th Interactive Session: J.M. Saksena

3rd IRU Euro-Asian Road Transport Conference
Beijing, 26-27 September 2005

J.M. Saksena
Past-Secretary General, AIMTC, Indiaa

Developing a Road Network to unite Markets on the Indian sub-continent

I am coming from one developing country in the Asian region to another one, with both of us having a staggeringly high number of the poor and destitute.

Yet, delegates are here from all over the world by similar aircrafts and from airports that adhere atleast to minimum international standards.

Is this possible on rail and road as well? Can we actually have such an international "standardization" of road networks - where we can smoothly drive across borders?

Definition of a "road" network
UNESCAP defines a "road" as a formed path suitable for use by all forms of non-guided vehicular transport. It can vary from the most basic tracks through remote territories to multi-lane, high-speed motorways - different countries and regions can have different definitions of - roads'.

But, developing a road network involves a much more complex standardization and harmonization than just of the physical road and its network.

It requires standardization in policies and networks of transportation systems, vehicles, infrastructure, technologies, services, administrative and trading systems.
Definition of the "Market" in the Indian sub-continent:
Unlike developed countries, agricultural goods still remain predominant cargo. Perishable goods like, fish crustaceans, mollusks, vegetable, fruits, livestock, etc. remain important cargo goods. The present patterns of movement and techniques need to be studied and tracked carefully for systems to be introduced and adapt accordingly.
Network standardization:
A road network through the Indian subcontinent, then Asian and eventually international will require standardization in various aspects of the roads, vehicles, transportation and communication systems, technologies and infrastructure, in the areas of:
1. Road surface, design and engineering; bridges and tunnels
2. Vehicle body, technology, loading-unloading practices, etc
3. Driver training, road & traffic laws, movement, etc.
4. Road signages and furniture
5. Systems for traffic management, tolling, border crossings, WIM, VMS, etc.
6. Emergency operations - calling a single number, minimum guarantee response time, etc.
7. Transit points
8. Traveler information systems, including: road, traffic and weather information; rail, port and airport movements, etc.
9. Public information services, though telephones, radio and internet
10. Disaster Management Systems: While floods and heavy monsoons are recurrent phenomenons, typhoons and earthquakes are not uncommon either. In the event of any of these happening road agencies, emergency response teams and public information systems have to get into rapid seamless action to minimize damage.
11. Customs and Trade Policies
12. Language: English will probably have to be adopted as the language for communication
13. Special laws and regulations may be required in areas where there is military presence and movement
Cost of construction, upgradation, management and maintenance:
Most countries in the Indian sub-continent are dependent on foreign aid. As a kick-off to the road development programmes in the region this is fine, but the dependence on foreign aid needs to change.

National governments need to develop their own robust instruments for raising finance - with greater involvement from national and local industry (including tourism) and road users.

A sense of "ownership" of the roads is very important which is missing presently.
Benefits
1. Trade boost
2. Economic and social boost: presently a vast amount of human and agricultural resource is locked in villages and small towns. A robust road transport system will offer an efficient connectivity to better employment and opportunities
3. Opportunity for new technologies: Today, efficient road networks are a complex system closely connecting roads, people and vehicles through electronic, location and information based technologies. A modern network will also throw up opportunities for new, emerging transportation technologies such as ITS.
4. Safety: Safety is one of the biggest weaknesses on the roads of the Indian subcontinent which has one of the highest road accidents, deaths and injuries. Modern technologies and systems being used around the world have also focused greatly on collision and crash avoidance, driver assist.systems, etc.
Problems
1. Political instability and hostility: India, the biggest and most developed country in the South Asian region needs to take a very active and responsible lead to make the Asian road network a reality. This needs a strong political will to resolve political differences and sort out internal instability.
2. Poverty: the South Asian region has a high number of poor people and some very innovative finance instruments need to be evolved that involve people and raise their standard of living.
3. Intermodal conflict: A national transport vision and policy that harmonises multimodal movement rather than competes needs to be developed. Pakistan has evolved a national transport policy draft - India too needs to the same.
4. Lack of data and reliable records: Present systems of data collection are inadequate to completely lacking and need to be evolved for proper policy, measuring and tracking growth and development.
5. Lack of ownership: As mentioned already, foreign funds for roads were fine as a beginning but should not make the countries dependent on them. Ways of local investment and ownership need to be developed.
6. Physical shortcomings: Areas prone to floods, heavy monsoons, earthquakes and typhoons need especially to have superior technological inputs for making their roads and transport systems.
7. Inadequate institutional frameworks: Though a body has been formed to oversee regional road and infrastructure developments, the links of these with various other related departments and agencies needs to be clearly articulated and forged for integrated planning and harmonized implementation.
8. Inadequate HRD: Here again, the role of India is critical. With some of the best engineering and IT institutions and experts, these need to be upgraded to international courses to be able to provide training and capacity building for other countries.
Advantages:
1. Location and information based technologies have made constructing heavy, expensive physical infrastructure redundant. The Indian subcontinent road network too need to jump on the 21st century bandwagon and take advantage of the fast spreading IT and telecom for efficient systems of road, transport and traveler information and management technologies and services.
Actions taken:
1. Asian Highway Project