NHAI to develop wayside amenities along highways

Aiming to provide better travel experience to highway commuters, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will develop wayside amenities at land acquired at 183 locations along the national highways, said an official statement on Thursday.

Among the amenities, there would be parking for cars, buses and trucks, restaurants/ food courts, dhabas, fuel stations and minor repair shops, among other miscellaneous items. According to a government statement, the facilities on over five-acre areas each will be developed under the brand name "Highway Village" and facilities on smaller area less than five acres will be developed under "Highway Nest" brand.

On the occasion of the announcement of the initiative, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari unveiled the logo for Highway Village and Highway Nest here in the national capital.

Gadkari said the ministry would develop a network of amenities at every 50 km distance on the national highways. So more than 1,000 such amenities would be developed across the country.

"Out of the 183 sites available with NHAI, bids have already been invited for 34 sites. The due dates for receipt of bids for these sites are August 21, 2017 and September 27, 2017," said Gadkari.

The NHAI has called for private participation on the franchise basis. "Private land owners/ persons having a minimum land area of more than one hectare abutting the national highways can join hands with NHAI under the brand name 'Highway Nest' to develop wayside amenities as a franchise of the authority," said a statement issued by the ministry.