10 high-density highways in Karnataka to get wayside amenities

The WSA project was announced by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 2017

The Karnataka Transport Department is gearing up to develop wayside amenities (WSA) with officials identifying 10 high-density highway corridors across the state.

The WSA project was announced by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Morth) in 2017. The WSA is planned to cater to three types of commuters: tourists, regular passengers as well as truck drivers who need rest. From basics like washrooms and convenience stores to auto workshops and showrooms, the Morth had proposed 600-plus sites across the country.

Transport Department Secretary N V Prasad said the project will be taken up under the Public Private Partnership model. "We have identified 10 corridors where there is scope to set up wayside amenities. The first one will come up at the Devaraj Urs Truck Terminal at Dasanapura. As part of the project, we will require land parcels that are abutting the highways. The sites will be chosen in places where no amenities exist at present," he said.

The land acquisition will be done through the D Devaraj Urs Truck Terminals Ltd, which will act as a nodal agency for the project. Officials of the company have held meetings in this regard.

Back in 2012, the state Tourism Department had planned to set up WSA along five tourist circuits: north, south, coastal, wildlife and hill resorts. In the first phase, nine WSAs were planned along six stretches: Belagavi-Vijayapura, Badami-Hosapete, Badami-Vijayapura, Mysuru-Madikeri, Chikkamagluru-Sringeri and Kalasa-Sringeri. The project, however, didn't take off.

Karnataka State Tourist Operators Association’s president K Radhakrishna Holla said, "The proposed project in Karnataka should cater to people from all walks of life, from luxury travellers or foreign tourists to cab and truck drivers besides the regular passengers. For drivers, dormitories should be built for resting and adequate security, including CCTV surveillance, should be provided to prevent theft," he said.

Holla noted that successful WSAs in turn spawn a town or city around them. Such growth can be regulated instead of allowing haphazard establishment of restaurants or dhabas along the highway, he added.