Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced on Thursday that five-star bus terminus will now be set up on the lines of airports across the country. He also explained that the public transport system needs to be made more efficient to reduce the increasing pollution and the government is taking measures in that direction.
Gadkari was speaking at the 11th Biennial International Conference organised by Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCHI). Girish Kuber, editor of 'Loksatta', interacted with Gadkari on road development, public transport, current status of communication etc. Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Rajiv Jalota, MCHI's Anil Radhakrishnan and others were present on this occasion. Airport construction is going on all over the country. On the same lines, a policy is being prepared to set up a five-star bus terminus. There have been nine proposals for this type of bus terminus in Goa and if the Maharashtra government gives space, there are preparations to set up such a terminus at various places in the state. States should provide space, we are ready to invest. Gadkari also said that the policy in this regard will be finalised soon.
The port connectivity project has been undertaken
To ensure that the import-export goods reach the ports in time, the port connectivity project has been undertaken at a cost of around INR 66.79 crores. 15 of these projects are in the state. Gadkari also informed that a 506 km long highway network connecting the ports of Jawaharlal Nehru, Jaigarh, Gardhan etc. at a cost of INR 11.77 crores is being developed and about 200 km long roads have been completed.
The environment is the government's top priority, with vehicles accounting for 40 percent of pollution. Time to prioritise public transport everywhere to reduce it. For this, a pollution free double decker electric bus was started in Mumbai a few days ago. In other cities too, emphasis is being placed on increasing the use of electric vehicles in public transport and now we have to wait for electric vehicles for private use. Gadkari informed that ropeways are being constructed at 260 places across the country, including Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Nainital, Hrishikesh, Kullu, Ujjain, Kedarnath etc.
Tree plantation on both sides of the Delhi-Mumbai highway
Gadkari said that while emphasising on the public transport system to reduce pollution in Delhi, roads have been planned so that the vehicles coming from the city can go to their desired destinations outside the city. Admitting that various measures to reduce road accidents have not met with desired success, Gadkari pointed out that the Tamil Nadu government has succeeded in reducing the number of accidents by 50 per cent in the last year. Similarly, efforts are being made to use more and more solid waste in the city in road construction and he also expressed his belief that the problem of solid waste will be solved if it succeeds. About three and a half crore trees are being planted on both sides of roads and highways across the country for environmental conservation and 50 thousand trees have been replanted. He said that bamboo will be planted on both sides of the Delhi-Mumbai highway.
35 Multipurpose Communication Service Centers across the country
35 Multi-Purpose Communication Service Centers (Multimodal Logistics Parks) are being set up across the country at a cost of INR 2 lakh crore, of which the parks at Jalna and Wardha have been completed. Direct facility of import-export is available from there and these centres will be set up in Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Hyderabad, Delhi, Varanasi etc. in the near future. Gadkari also claimed that about 70 crore metric tons of goods will be imported and exported every year.
Addressing 11th Biennial International Conference on Ports, Shipping and Logistics, Mumbai https://t.co/jQNn46GwI5
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) April 13, 2023
'Court should inspect Mumbai-Goa route'
When it was pointed out that the High Court had repeatedly expressed displeasure over the stalled work on the Mumbai-Goa highway, Gadkari said that the court has the right to speak, but once the court should inspect the highway. He said that the work of this project has also stalled due to court stay. He also reminded that the environment department of the state took one and a half years to give permission for the Versova Khadi bridge on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway.
To reduce pollution in Mumbai
Measures are needed to reduce pollution in Mumbai. For this, the central government has decided to connect the Delhi-Mumbai highway between Virar-Bandra by a sea bridge. Gadkari also claimed that a project costing INR 1,200 crore and connecting a highway to Navi Mumbai Airport worth INR 10,000 crore has been undertaken to remove traffic congestion in Panvel and once these two projects are completed, the problem of traffic congestion in Navi Mumbai-Panvel area will be solved forever.
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