Highway Ministry Adopts Quality-cost Evaluation For Road Projects Bids
The highway ministry is switching to a quality-cum-cost based system in place of the long-standing least-cost selection procedure technique for assessing bids for road-building projects. Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced the shift at an International Road Federation (IRF) event, emphasising a new system based on a combination of quality and cost elements.
"The age of simply picking the cheapest bid is over," said Gadkari. "To ensure top-notch infrastructure and prioritise road safety, the Ministry of Road and Highways (MoRTH) will soon implement a qualitative tendering process." This marks a departure from the long-standing practice of awarding contracts solely based on the lowest quoted price, a system often criticised for compromising quality and safety.
Further, the new approach, Gadkari explained, aims to integrate essential road safety features into project designs from the very beginning. He pointed to a recent road safety audit of seven national highways, which revealed 57 engineering flaws on the Pune-Mumbai expressway alone. Such deficiencies, he stressed, are major contributors to India's alarming road accident statistics.
"Bad road engineering is the biggest culprit behind our road accidents," the minister stated. "By incorporating safety considerations during the planning stage, we can prevent these tragedies before they even occur."
Further, K K Kapila, President Emeritus, IRF, echoed Gadkari's sentiments, highlighting the need for a multi-pronged approach to building a safe transportation system. He emphasised the importance of not just road design but also vehicle engineering, strict enforcement of traffic rules, public education and efficient emergency response systems.
