NHAI to roll out route patrol vehicles for faster assistance and maintenance – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In its bid to improve highway patrol, NHAI issued new guidance on Friday Route patrolling vehicles (RPVs) under the brand name “Rajmarg Saathi”, which will be equipped with advanced tools to reduce water pollution traffic disruption and better maintenance. These vehicles will be used for handling on every 50 km route emergency incidents and for quick maintenance.
An NHAI spokesperson said that in the existing RPVs, the space at the back is open for storing instruments and equipment for support in case of emergency situations. “However, due to the open space, operators were not able to keep this equipment in a well-organized manner, which sometimes led to delays in taking quick action. To overcome such a situation, the back or trunk of the RPV has now been replaced by a closed cabinet with dedicated space for various equipment and inventory. The shelves are made to provide quick and easy access to various equipment during emergencies and are a significant upgrade over the previous RPVs,” he added.
These vehicles will also have an advanced feature of dashboard cameras equipped with ‘AI video analytics‘ to record and identify cracks and potholes. These will also capture details such as vehicles, pedestrians, road signs and other infrastructure features. “The data and video footage, including road issues, will be collected by NHAI on a weekly basis and these road issues data will be integrated with NHAI One application for more efficient maintenance of roads,” the official added.
Officials said the manpower deployed in these vehicles will be properly trained to operate the toll. To ensure the serviceability of the vehicle, the RPV will be replaced with a new RPV once it has driven more than 3,00,000 km or has been in use for three years.
“Because our RPVs are always on the routes (in every 8-hour shift), they can reach a spot first or spot shortcomings for quick action. The new guidelines will help in better maintenance of highway stretches and minimize disruption,” said an NHAI official.