Nitin Gadkari mandates A/C driver cabins for all trucks

21 Jun 2023 CW Team

Nitin Gadkari, The Minister for Road Transport and Highways, announced that all trucks would now be required to have air-conditioned driver compartments. He made this statement during an event organised by Mahindra Logistics to recognise the contributions of the drivers' community. Gadkari stated that he had wanted to introduce air conditioners in truck driver compartments ever since he became Minister. However, there were concerns raised about the increased costs associated with this plan.

He further mentioned that before attending the event, he had signed the file that mandated the installation of air conditioning in truck driver compartments. He emphasised the importance of ensuring the well-being of truck drivers by providing them with proper facilities. Gadkari also discussed the government's efforts to improve wayside amenities along national highways. He informed the audience that 570 roadside amenities were being developed, with tenders awarded for 170 of them, and work had already begun. The goal was to have an amenity centre every 50 kilometres of highway stretches.

Regarding road safety and reducing accident fatalities, Gadkari expressed the need to promote lane driving, improve road design, and enhance driver training. He also stressed the importance of collaboration between vehicle scrapping units and manufacturers to maximise the utilisation of recycled materials.

Also read:
Construction of Triyuginarayan-Toshi motor road gets approval
NHAI to revamp Thakurdwara flyover for GT road decongestion

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane–Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..