Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, who is considered one of the best performing Ministers of the Government of India, has said that in the next five years both the centre and the States should work together to transform the Transport sector of the country to become five trillion dollar economy.

Addressing the 41st Meeting of Transport Development Council (TDC) at Bengaluru today he said efforts should be made to increase the automobile industry from 7.5 lakhs crore to 15 lakhs crore in the next five years enabling India as a top automobile manufacturing hub in the world. He said this is only possible with the adoption of best technologies for the Indian road sector and emphasis on digital contactless services by all States/UTs.

The minister said all diesel buses should be replaced with electric buses to reduce pollution and costs. Gadkari said all the stakeholders should resolve to fulfil Prime Minister’s vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. He reiterated that serious and sensitive approach is needed towards road accidents and hard decisions will have to be taken to save precious lives of people.

Ministers of Transport from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu participated in the 41st Transport Development Council (TDC).

The initiatives of the Ministry on construction of roads, public transport, technology adoption, Road safety and the initiatives on the development of Road Transport were appreciated by the Ministers. They complemented Gadkari for bringing out the Motor vehicles (amendment) Act, 2019 and its speedy implementation.

Minister of State RTH & Civil Aviation, Gen (Dr) V K Singh, Secretary Giridhar Aramane, and Joint Secretary Mahmood Ahmed also addressed the gathering.