Overview
Road Transport is vital to India's economy. It enables the country's transportation sector contribute 4.7 percent of India’s gross domestic product, in comparison to railways that contributed 1 percent, in 2009-2010. Road transport has gained in importance over the years despite significant barriers and inefficiencies in inter-state freight and passenger movement compared to railways and air. The government of India considers road network as critical to the country's development, social integration and security needs of the country.
India's road network carries over 65 percent of its freight and about 85 percent of passenger traffic.
Indian road network is administered by various government authorities, given India's federal form of government. The table below describes the regulating bodies.
| Road classification | Authority responsible | Total kilometers (as of 2011) |
|---|---|---|
| National Highways | Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (Central government of India) | 70,934; plus 40,000 kilometers under implementation |
| State Highways | State governments (state's public works department) | 131,899 |
| Rural and urban roads | Local governments, panchayats and municipalities | 3,117,763 |
Read more about this topic: Indian Road Network