Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Nitin Gadkari has said that the Government is committed to improve the safety of Indian roads. He said a bill adopting the best practices in the world in road transportation and safety standards will be brought soon. He was addressing the International Conference and Exhibition on Public Transport Innovation – 2015 in New Delhi today. The event is being organized to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Association of State Road Transport Undertaking (ASRTU) which was established on 13th August, 1965.
Gadkari said his vision is to make the functioning of the transport sector corruption free and transparent. He added that services should be delivered in a time bound manner. The Minister emphasized on adoption of new technologies such as GPS based system, passenger information system, CCTV cameras, automatic fare collection system and electronic ticket vending. He asked the Indian automobile manufacturers to ensure international standards in vehicle manufacturing. The goal should be good quality at reasonable cost, the Minister said. Shri Gadkari underlined use of bio-diesel and other alternate fuels to reduce the level of pollution in the environment.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Shri Anant Geete said that his Ministry will fully cooperate with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in the development of automobiles that are in line with the Make in India slogan of the Prime Minister as well as environmentally conducive. He also suggested that incentives can be given to manufacturers in this regard. During the inaugural session, Shri Vijay Chhibber, Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways and President, ASRTU said that the need is to work in the direction of environment friendly transport system which is sustainable too. He said that steps should be taken in the direction of manufacturing hybrid vehicles and developing alternate fuels. National Transport Excellence awards were also presented on the occasion by Shri Gadkari. A coffee table book encapsulating the origin and journey of road transport in India was also released. A short film on public transport was also screened. The International Conference and Exhibition on Public Transport Innovation – 2015 is a two-day event in which various topics are being discussed such as Sustainable Public Road Transport – Challenges & Future Road Map, Smart Vehicle Technologies & Alternate fuels, Women’s Safety & challenges in Public transport and future of Bus industry in India.