Indian Roads Congress
At the instance of central government a semi-official technical body known as nan
Roads Congress (uR was tormed in 1934. This, it may be recalled, is one or the mait
recommendations made by the Jayakar Committee. The Indian Roads Congress was
constituted to provide a rorum tor regular pooling of experience and ideas on all maters
affecting the planning, construction and maintenance of roads in India, to recomncn
standard specifications and to provide a platform for the expression of protessiona
opinion on matters relating to Toad engineering including such questions as those o
organisation and aaministration. The IRC has played important role in the formulation O
the three 20-year road development plans in India. Now the Indian Roads Congress a
become an active body of national importance controlling specifications, standardisation
and recommendations on materials, design and construction of roads and bridges
IRC publishes journals, research publications, standards specifications guidelines and
otner speclal publications on various aspect of Highway Engineering The technical
activities or the IRCC are mainly carried out by the Highway research Board and several
committees and subcommittees consisting of experts in each subject. The IRC works in
close collaboration with Roads Wing of the Ministry of Surface Transport, Government
of
India.
Economic depression during the thirties of this century delayed the road development
programmes. During this period the share from the Central Road Fund was almost the
oniy source tor highway financing. During the second world war intensive efforts were
made to develop the road net work essential required for strategic considerations. These
projects were substantially supported by defence services funds.
After the second world war, there was a revolution in respect of automobiles using the
roads in our country and a large number of military vehicles started plying on the roads.
Thus the road development could not cope up with rapid increase in road vehicles and so
the existing roads started deteriorating fast The need for proper highway planning was
urgently felt by this time by the authorities
Motor Vehicle Act
In 1939 the Motor Vehicles Act was brought into effect by Government of India to
regulate the road traffic in the form of traffic laws, ordinances and regulations. The three
phases primarily covered are control of the driver, vehicle ownership and vehicle
operation on roads and in traffic stream. Ihe Motor Vehicle Act has been appended with
several ordinances subsequently. The Motor Vehicles Act has been revised in the year
1988.
