Childcare centres, ATMs along national highways soon

NEW DELHI: They say it's more about the journey than the destination. And it's perhaps this mantra which has driven the road transport ministry to devise a new roadmap for more comfortable road trips on India's highways. Over the next two years, all the major highways of the country will boast of such facilities as food courts, restaurants, internet facilities, ATMs, childcare facilities as well as rooms for breaks amid long journeys. “While there will be separate complexes for car and bus drivers, the facilities at sites meant for truckers would be different.Their requirement is different.

“The entire scheme has been designed in a manner that people get a good place to take a break, rest and eat during long journeys. There will be more such complexes along divided highways,“ said a ministry official.

Sources said road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the plan, and has asked for the work to start. Soon after taking charge, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the ministry to look into improving travel conditions for commuters rather than just focusing on building and expanding stretches.

There will be two phases for developing such facilities. Over their course, 1,440 such facilities will be built -one after every 100 km in case of divided highways and 50 km otherwise.