Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has outlined a transformative mobility blueprint for India, featuring hyperloop systems, electric buses, and ropeways to connect urban and remote regions. The plan focuses on sustainable, innovative solutions aimed at reducing logistics costs, generating employment, and cutting emissions.

Work has already commenced on 60 of the 360 planned ropeway, cable car, and funicular railway projects at locations including Kedarnath. These projects, valued between Rs 2 billion and Rs 50 billion, are expected to improve accessibility in difficult terrains, particularly in hilly regions.

The roadmap also includes upgrading 25,000 km of two-lane highways to four-lane roads and ramping up road construction to 100 km per day. Pilot projects for Metrino pod taxis, pillar-based rapid transit, and hyperloop systems are being considered for cities like Delhi and Bengaluru.

In Nagpur, a pilot project has been tendered for a 135-seater high-speed electric bus equipped with executive-class amenities. Designed to run at speeds of up to 125 km/h, the bus will recharge in 30–40 minutes and is projected to be 30 per cent cheaper than diesel alternatives. Similar electric buses are planned for routes such as Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Dehradun, Mumbai-Pune, and Bangalore-Chennai.

To further reduce reliance on imported fuel, the government is working with automakers including Tata, Toyota, Mahindra, and Hyundai on flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on ethanol and methanol blends. Eleven companies have already agreed to develop such vehicles.

Infrastructure upgrades also include AI-powered safety tools, drone surveillance, precast road construction methods, and three-foot-high safety barriers. Additionally, the government plans to plant 200–250 million trees along highways, with a "tree bank" system under discussion with the Ministry of Environment.

To enhance commuter convenience, 670 roadside amenities have been approved across national highways, providing facilities such as rest areas, food courts, fuel stations, and sanitation.

The transport sector currently contributes nearly 40 per cent to India’s air pollution. Through green mobility initiatives, the government aims to reduce this share while cutting the country’s Rs 22 trillion annual fuel import bill. The plan also targets a reduction in logistics costs from 14 per cent to 9 per cent of GDP by the end of the year.

News source: India Sea Trade News