Maintain highways, not just 'my way'

The shift of emphasis for NHAI to maintain the existing highways was overdue after a decade of adding new capacity to the highway network. New highways are expensive and have a gestational period for economic benefits. In contrast, existing highways need less money for upgradation and the economic fallout is more proximate. This is principally due to reduced congestion and faster haulage, which brings down the economy's logistics costs. Since the bulk of cargo travels by road, the reprioritisation of maintenance could have a higher impact on how far it moves in a day. GoI's directive to NHAI may slow the pace of building new highways, but the overall impact ought to be favourable.

Improving overall network efficiency is the best available metric for all three modes of transport - road, rail and air. The same principle applies to railways and aviation, where congestion avoidance may yield bigger gains than network expansion. Railways need more high-speed corridors to be able to claw back market share from road haulage. Safety on the railway network directly affects speed and could deliver outsized RoI. Airlines, likewise, need to build fleet strength on existing routes before venturing into new ones. Subsidised air travel in new sectors has contributed to sickness among airlines in India.

Synergies among transport modes would, in fact, require a higher-speed railway network to decongest its highways. Cargo hauled by road typically travels further in a day than it does by rail, and this gap must be reduced. Highways are not only more expensive to build, they also have the highest carbon footprint among all forms of transport. An electric railway network is central to India's emissions reductions, and the goal is within reach. Track upgrades and safety are necessary conditions for a meaningful redistribution of India's freight market. The emphasis on maintenance should be widened to include railway rolling stock.