GPS installation mandatory in commercial vehicles

17 Apr 2023 CW Team

All commercial cars operating on the Char Dham yatra route must now have GPS installed, per a requirement by the Uttarakhand transport department. Chandan Ram Das, the minister of transportation, stated on Thursday that May 31 has been set aside as the deadline for installing GPS, after which new trip cards will not be provided to the drivers.

After passing a fitness test, "green cards," which identify cars driving on the Char Dham roads, are awarded. The operators/drivers must also obtain a "travel card" in addition to this card. Each trip requires the use of this card.

The minister shared the information and added, "I met with representatives from the taxi and bus associations as well as other interested parties. They have agreed to the installation of GPS but have also stated that they have suffered significant losses as a result of two shortened yatra seasons in Covid-19. So that they might use the opportunity to make up their profits, we gave them until May 31 - more than a month after the yatra began. It won't be possible to issue new trip cards if GPS is not installed by May 31. Operators have committed to providing additional support in this area."

The department has also stated that it will compensate the surviving family members of those died while riding government buses with 0.7 million.

Infrastructure Transport

17 Sep 2025

Adani wins Kedarnath ropeway project to cut trek to 36 minutes

Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has secured the contract to build a 12.9-km ropeway connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath, a project expected to transform the pilgrimage experience. Awarded by National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), the project will be executed under the National Ropeways Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana.Currently, pilgrims undertake a gruelling nine-hour trek to Kedarnath. The ropeway will reduce this journey to just 36 minutes and can transport 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction, serving the nearly 20 lakh devotees who visit annually.The Rs 25,0..

Gurugram Rapid Metro to shift from DMRC to GMRL control

The Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) has begun the process of transferring Gurugram’s Rapid Metro operations from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL). The decision was taken at HMRTC’s 62nd Board meeting, chaired by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi.Committees have been formed to oversee the transition, covering technical, legal, and operational aspects, with definitive timelines being prepared. Until the transfer is complete, the system will be managed jointly by DMRC and GMRL.The Rapid Metro has shown notable performance impr..

Chandigarh Metro cost climbs to Rs 25,000 crore amid delays

The long-awaited Chandigarh Tricity Metro project has seen its estimated cost balloon to nearly Rs 25,000 crore, following delays in approvals by the Union Territory administration. The cost, which stood at Rs 23,263 crore in February 2025, has risen by Rs 1,737 crore in just seven months, according to officials.The matter was raised during the transport standing committee meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, chaired by AAP state president Vijay Pal. A presentation by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) strongly recommended that the Metro is the most suitable mass r..