NEW DELHI: In a move to keep highway commuters updated about road blocks, crashes, bad road condition and even weather forecast, government on Friday announced that it will start highway advisory radio (HAR) system like a radio channel.
Besides broadcasting music, songs and other entertainment programmes, the HAR system, will also provide uninterrupted real-time information on traffic condition, local points of interest, suggest what alternate routes commuters can take in case of congestion ahead.
Announcing the decision, road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said one of the MPs in a parliamentary panel had suggested the need to have such a free-to-air infotainment system as highway network is increasing. “I have informed the MPs that we have already started work on this. My ministry is working on the proposal. This will prove a big help to the commuters,” Gadkari said while launching the integrated data collection system for 96,000 km of NHs.
To begin with, the first such highway advisory radio service would be available on Delhi-Jaipur stretch of NH-8. Sources said the road transport ministry is working in association with the World Bank on this plan, which will work as a digital radio. They added that programmes will be broadcasted in three languages -Hindi, English and a local language. To ensure that commuters have uninterrupted access to the system, towers will be installed all along the NH network across the country.
“The system will have a feature like the public announcement (PA) system. The PA system will override all programmes when there is an accident or any urgent information that needs to be shared with the commuters,” said a government official.
