Corridor Management
Corridor Management basically involves developing protocols 
and standards, contingency planning, route patrolling, incident management, managing public relations and training of toll employees:
- It is essential to have a system of operational decision-making and control so that common terms and structures fit the normal working practices and reinforce recognised methods. Example: the Highway Agency in UK, supported by seven Regional Control Centres (RCCs), manages communication for planned and unplanned events. All of them together assess regional network information and deploy and coordinate resources to manage both the network and criminality. The management of the response is divided into three levels ? Operational (Bronze), Tactical (Silver) and Strategic (Gold). The requirement to implement one or more of these management levels will be very dependent on the nature of the incident but normally incidents will be handled at the Operational level, only moving on to the Tactical, and finally the Strategic level should this prove necessary.
- Contingency planning involves assessing and quantifying hazards ? in order to manage risks, identify preventive measures, measure preparedness, and finally respond, and recovering normalcy at the earliest.
- Route patrolling is done through motorcycle patrols which commute easily in congested areas compared to larger response vehicles, allowing trained personnel to reach and assess the scene of the incident more quickly. Installing frequent roadway reference markers can also help to ensure that motorists the location of the incident accurately.
- Public relation management needs to be done by a dedicated team having clearly defined protocols for responding to media queries. Media often learns about the disaster at the same time as the emergency services. They will also expect an instant response to their requests for information and briefing. If these demands are not anticipated, media representatives are likely to add to the confusion. Experience has shown the value of dealing with the following points immediately: Controlling access to site by offering specific filming area, establishing a media liaison point outside the cordon and nominating a media liaison officer who should be a senior personnel having accurate information regarding the incident.
- Training activities to improve Traffic Incident Management among employees by teaching company?s procedural operations, increasing awareness of regarding law enforcement, fire and rescue, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), transportation, towing and recovery, etc.
The concept of incident management is still in its nascent stages in India as only few locations are warming up to understand the salience it actually demands
Incident Management
The hustle and bustle of daily life in India is bound to give rise to unfavourable road accidents. In Tolling literature they are referred to as incidents. Events such as traffic crashes, disabled vehicles, spilled cargo, and unattended carcass are some types of incidents that may occur on a highway. Three key elements are involved in incident management: Accurately detecting the issue, communicating it to the required parties and swiftly implementing means to resolve it. In India, there is no clear policy defining incident management despite the fact that India has the highest accident rate in the world.
However, the Department of Road Transport and Highways has come up with a Draft policy on National Road Safety which primarily includes strengthening the legal, institutional and financial framework for road safety at various levels. Most toll road operators currently have outsourced the incident management services. Through superior toll / and traffic management systems, electronic tolling, better signages etc. O&M companies are able to achieve reduced accidents and lower waiting time at toll plazas. The major role of the developer/operator is to disseminate the information to concerned authorities (mostly police and fire department); however, there is no active involvement of his in incident management.
Road infrastructure is expected to be passed on through several generations during which time many dramatic changes will take place. Our foresight based on research and hindsight based on risks and challenges managed, demand us to plan for tomorrow and not only look at today?s consumption. Ambitious targets, cheaper construction, efficient collection, easy maintenance along with environmental and safety concerns together would seem like a daunting task but it won?t be if we are more sensitive towards trends and act purposefully. Think global, act local.
Status in other countries
? Better land use management ? It involves designating lanes on the basis of class of vehicles, speed limit, and use of dynamic signs to indicate whether a lane is opened or closed. In countries like the UK and the Netherlands, land use management is done in combination with variable speed limits so that speed of the vehicles approaching a traffic jam can be controlled.
? Using electronic toll collection systems to allow collection of toll without stopping vehicles ? Some of the Electronic Toll Collection technologies adopted worldwide are Open Road Tolling (ORT), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC), Communication Air-Interface, Long and Medium Range (CALM), Global Positioning System (GPS) and Automatic Number Plate Recording (ANPR).
? Traffic management by data collection and visual surveillance ? Coordination between different concerned agencies for better traffic management on the highway and arterial roads through signal control systems is necessary. Data related to the incident is collected and studied to allow identification of bottlenecks and shortcomings in the designs leading to incident that can then be taken care of.
? Installing roadway weather information systems ? To analyse current and forecast future weather data, pavement conditions and help authorities to take requisite course of action during rainfall and snow conditions.
? In England, the Highway Agency manages incidents as a whole while in Austria ASFiNAG detects incidents but clearance is done by local authorities. In Denmark, the Danish Road Directorate (DRD) is limited to informing road users and authorities on incidents. In Belgium, Flemish Road Administration (FRA) only manages traffic in case of incidents while the Police does the actual incident management.