In a significant move highlighting a critical safety issue, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has raised an alarm over the widespread lack of mobile network coverage on the country's highways and expressways. This connectivity gap is not just an inconvenience for daily commuters but poses a severe risk by hampering emergency communication for services like ambulances and patrol vehicles during accidents.
NHAI's Urgent Appeal to Telecom Regulator
The authority has formally urged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to direct telecom operators to immediately improve mobile network connectivity on these vulnerable stretches. NHAI has identified 424 specific "telecom black spots" spanning approximately 1,750 kilometers across the national highway network and has shared this detailed list with the regulator for prompt action.
In a letter to TRAI chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, NHAI chairman Satosh Kumar Yadav emphasized that the absence of a reliable mobile network is adversely impacting core highway operations. It hinders real-time coordination with field units and enforcement agencies, creating a major operational and safety challenge.
Where Are These Network Black Spots?
Officials noted that the problem is more acute on newly built greenfield highways, expressways, and remote sections. Some of the major projects affected include stretches of the flagship Delhi-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Chennai expressways.
The data shared with TRAI provides concrete examples of the problem:
- A 69-kilometer stretch on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway passing through Ratlam has no mobile network coverage.
- The entire 51-kilometer section between Harda and Betul in Madhya Pradesh suffers from a complete network blackout.
- Other affected areas include nearly 15 km of the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway, 17 km of the Tambaram-Tindivanam section in Tamil Nadu, 11.8 km of the Warangal-Khammam section in Andhra Pradesh, and 10.8 km of the Mumbai-Vadodara expressway in Thane.
Proactive Safety Alerts for Accident-Prone Zones
In a related development focused on proactive safety, NHAI has also identified around 1,665 accident-prone locations across national highways and expressways, primarily due to the menace of stray cattle movement. The authority has taken up this issue with TRAI as well, proposing an innovative solution.
NHAI has suggested the implementation of proactive SMS and flash SMS alerts at these geo-mapped danger zones. These alerts would target users approaching hazardous stretches, including those affected by stray cattle and other risks.
"Alerts are intended to reach users approximately 15 minutes in advance as they approach such locations. NHAI has urged TRAI to issue directions to telecom operators to facilitate these alerts free of cost, purely in the interest of road user safety. This will save several lives," explained an official.
The twin initiatives—bridging the mobile network gaps and deploying advance warning systems—underscore NHAI's intensified focus on leveraging technology and telecom infrastructure to enhance safety on India's rapidly expanding highway network.
