Delhi residents may soon be able to report potholes, damaged roads and maintenance issues with a simple scan of their smartphone. In a major transparency initiative, the Delhi government's Public Works Department (PWD) is preparing to roll out the 'Know Your Road' project across the capital's road network.
The initiative will allow citizens to access detailed information about roads and lodge complaints through QR codes installed on roadside signboards.
According to official plans, nearly 2,500 QR codes will be installed across around 1,400 kilometres of PWD-managed roads in a phased rollout expected to be completed within 60 days.
What is the 'Know Your Road' project?
The 'Know Your Road' project aims to make road-related information easily accessible to the public. Under the initiative, every PWD road will be assigned a unique QR code displayed on signboards. Once scanned, the code will direct users to a dedicated citizen portal containing details about the specific road.
Residents will be able to view information such as:
- Road maintenance history
- Details of repairs and upgrades
- Names of officials responsible for the road
- Information about contractors handling maintenance work
- Complaint registration and tracking options
The platform is expected to be available in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
How will Delhi residents benefit?
One of the biggest advantages of the system is that complaints can be linked directly to a specific stretch of road.
At present, residents often struggle to identify the correct department or official responsible for damaged roads. The new system aims to simplify the process by allowing users to report issues immediately after scanning the QR code.
Citizens will be able to flag:
- Potholes
- Damaged road surfaces
- Broken signboards
- Maintenance-related concerns
- Other road infrastructure issues
The project is also expected to improve accountability by making maintenance records publicly accessible.
Nearly Rs 96 lakh earmarked for the project
PWD has floated bids for the implementation, operation and maintenance of the QR-based system. Officials have earmarked approximately Rs 96 lakh for the project, which includes the development of the digital platform, installation of QR codes and ongoing maintenance support.
The system will feature:
- Citizen complaint portal
- Administrative dashboard
- Analytics and monitoring tools
- Real-time grievance tracking mechanism
How will the rollout happen?
The implementation has been divided into multiple phases.
Phase 1: Digitisation of road records
During the first two weeks, officials will collect and digitise road-related information.
This will include:
- Mapping road IDs
- Identifying zones and divisions
- Recording engineer details
- Listing contractors
- Generating unique QR codes
Initially, the system will be activated on five roads.
Phase 2: Pilot testing on 100 roads
In the third week, the pilot project will expand to around 100 roads.
Officials will test:
- QR scan speed
- Complaint registration process
- Dashboard performance
- Reporting mechanisms
Feedback from this phase will be used to make improvements before citywide deployment.
Phase 3: Citywide installation
Between weeks four and eight, teams will begin installing nearly 2,500 QR code signboards across Delhi. The public portal is also expected to become fully operational during this stage.
What happens after the rollout?
Once the system is operational, authorities plan to continue monitoring and maintaining the platform.
The long-term roadmap includes:
- Regular updates to maintenance records
- Annual road health audits
- Continuous dashboard monitoring
- Monthly performance reports
- Ongoing grievance tracking
Officials believe the project could help create a more transparent and responsive road maintenance system across the city.
Dedicated teams to oversee implementation
The selected agency will deploy specialised teams to manage different aspects of the project.
These will include:
- Project managers for execution and monitoring
- Technology experts for platform development
- Field coordinators for QR code installation
- Quality assurance teams for testing and validation
Officials have also stated that damaged signboards will be repaired or replaced wherever necessary before QR codes are installed.
During the Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) period, any damaged or non-functional QR code identified by PWD will be replaced by the implementing agency.
Why the project matters
The 'Know Your Road' initiative seeks to bridge a long-standing information gap in Delhi's road management system.
For the first time, residents may be able to instantly access a road's maintenance history, identify responsible officials and report problems directly from the location itself.
If implemented successfully, the project could make road maintenance more transparent, improve accountability and give citizens a more active role in monitoring the city's infrastructure.
Inputs from TOI
