Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has said that major changes in road transport are imminent with the aim of improving transport without pollution. The Union Minister said that the aim is to launch a 132-seater bus with seats similar to an airplane and a ‘bus hostess’ similar to an air hostess. Nitin Gadkari said that a pilot project will be conducted in Nagpur along with Tata. After a journey of 40 km, the bus will stop for charging. It can store a charge to run 40 km in 40 seconds. It costs Rs 35-40 to secure one kilometer of travel. The bus will travel 49 km along the ring road. Refrigerated bus will operate the service. The minister also added that there should be comfortable seats and a space in front to put a laptop.
Like air hostesses, ‘bus hostesses’ will serve food and drinks to passengers. This state-of-the-art bus will be 30 percent cheaper than a diesel bus. The Union Minister also claimed that if solar energy is used, it will further decrease.
The minister said that the aim is to improve the transport without pollution. India today has low pollution modes of transport. Today there are more than 300 ethanol pumps in the country to power electric vehicles. Instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 per litre, ethanol will be filled at Rs 60 per litre. Electric vehicles run on 60 percent electricity and the rest on ethanol. This also plays a crucial role in preventing pollution. The Minister of Transport said that the government is also emphasizing on reducing the cost of public transport. A diesel bus in Nagpur costs Rs 115 per kilometer. It is Rs 41 with subsidy on electric S bus and Rs 37 on non-AC bus. Without subsidy it is Rs 50 and Rs 60 respectively.
The bus will run on non-polluting energy sources and will be more affordable than conventional diesel buses. He added that the government aims to make India a net energy exporter instead of an importer.
Gadkari said that pollution is a critical problem for India, especially for Delhi. “We need import-substitution, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. We have electric vehicles … Now Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing flex vehicles. So, instead of filling up with petrol at Rs 120 per litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 in a vehicle that runs on 60% electricity and 40% ethanol. It will also reduce pollution, he added.
Today the most important problem in the country is pollution – air, water and noise – especially for Delhi. We need import-substitution, cost-effective, pollution-free and indigenous transport solutions. We have electric vehicles… Now Indian Oil is installing 300 ethanol pumps and automobile companies are bringing flex vehicles. So, instead of filling petrol at Rs 120 per litre, it is better to use ethanol at Rs 60 in a vehicle that runs on 60% electricity and 40% ethanol. This will also reduce pollution, the minister said in Hindi. In a major announcement, the highways minister revealed that the GPS-based tolling scheme, which the government has been developing for some time, will be implemented on 5,000 km of roads in the next three months.
