Gurgaon: To improve road safety and emergency response, National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) has proposed a comprehensive set of measures covering mandatory service lanes, dedicated accident recovery lanes, trauma centres and heli-ambulance infrastructure across NCR.Under the proposed framework, service lanes will be made mandatory along all national and state highways and expressways by 2030, catering to cyclists, pedestrians, two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and other non-motorised traffic. “The move is intended to separate vulnerable road users from high-speed vehicular traffic, reducing accidents and improving mobility for a large segment of daily commuters who currently share carriageways with heavy and fast-moving vehicles,” said an official.The recommendations form part of NCRPB’s draft regional plan, discussed at a meeting last week, and its broader strategy to build a smarter, more inclusive transport network across the region, which encompasses parts of Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.NCRPB has also proposed dedicated accident recovery lanes on all national highways and expressways within two years, and on state highways within five. These lanes will enable quicker removal of disabled or accident-hit vehicles from carriageways, restoring traffic flow and preventing secondary accidents.Recognising that prompt medical attention significantly improves survival rates, the board has proposed fully equipped trauma centres at intervals of 50–60km — or within one hour’s travel time — to ensure victims receive care within the critical golden hour. The centres are expected to include advanced emergency facilities, blood banks and specialised trauma management units. NCRPB has suggested that land around highway fuel stations be utilised for these facilities to reduce fresh land acquisition.On air evacuation, the board has called for trauma centres to include helipads wherever feasible, and for all expressways to have helipads or airstrips at approximately every 100km. It has also recommended incorporating performance-based navigation systems into the NCR aviation plan, with both day and night helicopter access to emergency hospitals.Beyond safety, NCRPB has stressed better use of existing infrastructure — recommending time-bound development of interchanges connecting expressways with national and state highways, widespread LED and solar-powered lighting along highways and urban roads, and uninterrupted cycling infrastructure across major urban centres, including dedicated cycle tracks and continuity of routes at intersections.Urban planners say the proposals, if implemented, could significantly improve road safety in a region that continues to record a high number of accidents annually. The recommendations are expected to guide highway planning and infrastructure projects undertaken by state govts and road agencies across the NCR.
