http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Govt-to-develop-dry-port-in-Pimpri-Chinchwad/articleshow/45008645.cms
Govt to develop dry port in Pimpri Chinchwad
PUNE: The Centre will develop a dry port in Pimpri Chinchwad to enable export, Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for road transport and highways, said on Saturday.
Gadkari was speaking after inaugurating the Institute of Driving Training and Research, developed by Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) and Tata Motors on a public-private partnership basis.
The minister said the roads and ports in the country are congested and there was a need to develop inland transport. "Inland transport forms 20% of the total traffic in China, while it is only 0.5% in India. If tourism is to be promoted, there is need to develop inland transport," he said.
Gadkari said the CIRT must set up a centre here wherein research can be conducted in transport, automobiles, pollution control norms and other aspects meeting international standards. "We will provide all the funds needed for setting it up. Small models of the driving training institute should be set up in villages on a public-private partnership basis to train drivers and reduce accidents," he said.
The Union government will also encourage state governments to develop bus ports on public-private partnership basis to give facilities similar to those at airports to passengers. Hotels, restaurants, malls and other facilities at these bus ports will also generate employment, he said adding that the Union government will also give subsidy for gap funding to make them viable.
Gadkari said the Centre has prepared a draft suggesting changes in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 and will make efforts to get it passed in the Parliament in the winter session. He said that negligence by drivers was responsible for the maximum number of road accidents, but there is also a need to improve roads and give proper training to drivers to reduce accidents.
The country will need around 4.7 crore skilled drivers by 2020. These drivers can also get jobs abroad, he added. Sent from my iPad
