NHAI upgrades RPVs for strengthening highway patrolling

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has introduced new Route Patrolling Vehicles (RPVs) named ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ as part of its incident management services. The move is aimed at enhancing road safety and strengthening highway patrolling, NHAI said on Friday.

The RPVs conduct inspection of National Highway stretches to monitor and respond to emergency situations.

The guidelines for ‘Rajmarg Saathi’ RPVs include detailed specifications related to the use of vehicle, equipment and manpower.

“To ensure service fitness of the vehicle, the RPV shall be replaced with a new RPV, once it has exceeded a run of 3,00,000 km or has been in operation for three years,” it said.

According to NHAI, emphasis has been laid on branding and external appearance of the RPVs to maximise its visibility as a highway patrol services on the national highways.

“Equipped with the advanced communication and safety tools, these vehicles will be useful in minimizing traffic disruptions, improving road safety and enhancing overall road user experience along the national highways,” it added.As per the NHAI, route patrolling operations play a critical role in maintaining safety, providing incident management and ensuring smooth flow of traffic on national highways. The newly designed and advanced RPVs have been equipped with a closed cabinet with dedicated space for different equipment and inventory for quick and easy access during the emergency situations.

Besides, it has advanced features like dashboard cameras equipped with ‘AI video analytics’ to capture and identify cracks and potholes as well as other elements including vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and other infrastructure assets.

“The data or the video footage including road distresses shall be collected on a weekly basis by NHAI and will be integrated with NHAI One application for more efficient maintenance of roads,” NHAI added.