Road Ministry launches list of dhabas and truck repair shops on highways

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has created a dashboard on its website for providing details of dhabas and truck repair shops available across the country, said an official release.

The list is dynamic and will be updated as various States permit more dhabas. Some States like Uttar Pradesh and Assam have permitted a list of dhabas while in some States, food is available at outlets of oil marketing companies and toll plazas of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Dhabas and repair shops, drivers, cleaners or any other person involved in movement of goods trucks shall follow all the necessary precautions and healthcare protocols of social distancing, use of masks, hygiene, among others.

“Many drivers carry gas stove and ration with themselves. Drivers usually have set dhabas on their routes. Some of the dhabas also provide food on credit,” SP Singh, Senior Fellow, Indian Foundation for Transport Research and Training, told BusinessLine.

The States decide which shops have to be opened as per April 14 notification of Home Ministry. NHAI’s centralised call centre 1033 has also been enabled to answer calls, and help drivers and cleaners to find information about the dhabas and repair shops along the highways.

This is intended to facilitate the truck or cargo drivers and cleaners in their movement across the country for delivering required goods during the lockdown, said a release.

NHAI has restarted its toll collection with effect from Monday (April 20), even as Haryana and Punjab have decided not to collect tolls on state highways to aid the lifting of foodgrains.