Page 4 - Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways

Single bid for national highway projects will be acceptable: Morth

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Wednesday said that even a single bid for national highways work will be considered if it is reasonable. As per the circular, the bidding process will not be cancelled if there is only one bidder for a highway project. "Even when only one bid is submitted, the process should be considered valid, provided the procurement was satisfactory advertised and sufficient time was given for submission of bids, the qualification criteria were not restrictive and prices are reasonable in comparison to market value, " it said. Regarding reasonableness of the prices, the circular said the evaluation committee may examine the rates taking into consideration the comparison with the similar contracts awarded elsewhere. The purchase price of similar contracts may be updated taking into consideration inflation during the interim period, geographical conditions etc, it added. The circular said the purchase price of similar contracts may also be ...

Road accidents claim more lives than wars, militancy, Naxalism: Gadkari

More people have lost their lives in India in road accidents than wars, militancy and Naxalism, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday. Addressing the sixth Edition of FICCI Road Safety Awards and Conclave 2024, Gadkari further said the number of blackspots is increasing because of bad detailed project reports (DPRs) of road projects. "More people have lost lives in road crashes than wars, militancy and Naxalism," he said. According to Gadkari, India accounts for 5 lakh accidents and 1.5 lakh deaths annually, while 3 lakh people are injured. "This caused a 3 per cent loss to the country's GDP. Like a sacrificial lamb, a driver is blamed for every accident. Let me tell you, and I observe minutely -- often, the road engineering is at fault," he said. The minister emphasised on the need to conduct safety audit of all highways. He also noted that to reduce number of accidents, "we need to follow lane discipline". Gadkari added that the Ministry of

Govt to impose stricter rules on electric construction vehicles from Oct 1

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed new stricter safety standards for electric powertrain construction equipment vehicles including dumpers and excavators from October 1, 2024. The ministry in a draft notification has proposed an amendment to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 with an aim to push electric vehicles (EV) across various sectors. "On and after (1st October 2024), construction equipment vehicles fitted with electric power train shall meet requirements as specified in AIS-174, till the corresponding BIS specifications are notified under the Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016," the draft rule said. Electric and hybrid powertrain are being used in construction equipment vehicles. According to the notification, the objections or suggestions which may be received from any person in respect of the said draft rules before the expiry of the aforesaid period will be considered by the central government.

Financial strain of disability in India high, insurance aims to bridge gap

A staggering number of Indians face financial hardship due to disability, with lakhs suffering temporary or permanent limitations each year and recognising this critical gap in financial security, insurance companies are stepping forward with innovative solutions, officials said on Sunday. A 2018 report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) revealed that India, despite having only 1 per cent of the world's vehicles, accounts for 6 per cent of all road crashes. According to experts, close to 5 to 7 lakh people in the country suffer from temporary or permanent disability each year due to the high rates of accidents and crippling diseases and lose their ability to work and earn a livelihood. "The onset of disability often brings substantial healthcare expenses, making comprehensive insurance coverage crucial to prevent social and financial decline," Future Generali India Insurance, Chief Distribution Officer, Ramit Goyal said. A study titled 'Measuring the financial .

NHAI not facing financial crises, pre-paid Rs 15,700 cr bank loan: Gadkari

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is not facing any financial crises and has drawn up a plan to service its debt through improved inflows of toll revenue and asset monetisation, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "NHAI is not facing any financial crises which is evident from the fact that NHAI has pre-paid bank loan to the tune of Rs 15,700 crore through InvIT monetisation proceeds - Rs 6,350 crore in the last financial year and Rs 9,350 crore in July 2024," he added. NHAI's debt stands at Rs 3.35 lakh crore. Gadkari said the government has not mandated NHAI to raise funds since FY2023-24. "Thus, the debt reduction has started," he said. The minister also said that NHAI has drawn up a plan to service its debt through improved inflows of toll revenue and asset monetisation. "The amount raised through the InvIT mode is used exclusively for debt repayment," Gadkari ...

Petrol pump owners show dissent, to shut PUC centres in Delhi from July 15

Petrol pump owners said PUC centres will be shut from Monday onwards, expressing their dissatisfaction over the recent proposed hike in rates of pollution certificates by the city government. The operation of the pollution under control (PUC) centres is unviable, they said in a statement issued on Sunday. Delhi government on Thursday increased the PUC certificate charges for petrol, CNG and diesel vehicles after a gap of about 13 years. The hike ranges between Rs 20 and Rs 40. The new rates will be effective as soon as it is notified by the Delhi government, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had said. In a statement issued, the Delhi Petrol Dealers' Association (DPDA) said, "Since the operation of PUC centres is unviable, many PUC centres have surrendered their licenses in the last few months. The managing committee of the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association has thus resolved to close PUC centres at their retail outlets across Delhi from July 15 in light of arbitrary and grossly ...

Morth to appoint non-technical consultant for faster highway construction

The objective of the appointment is to streamline the awarding and construction processes for highways by improving land acquisition procedures, according to a report

Cong MP Gaurav Gogoi urges Gadkari to complete work on highway in Jorhat

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to intervene and take immediate action to complete the Teok-Sivasagar highway in Jorhat as its condition was "deplorable ". In a video appeal from the site of the under-construction highway, Gogoi said the work was delayed by several years and frequent accidents and long traffic jams had become common. The highway falls under Gogoi's Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency. The Congress MP said the Teok-Sivasagar highway is an important road in the Jorhat region, critical for boosting connectivity. "Work for several portions of the road has been 'ongoing' for the past several years. The condition of the road is deplorable. From frequent accidents to long traffic jams, this portion is affected with several issues," he said in the video posted on X. Gogoi said several contractors were brought in and left the job midway and multiple work tenders had been issued to no effect. People are facing se

Budget 2024: Capex momentum for developing highways likely to continue

Focus will be on the quality of work done and not just the length of highways built, say senior govt officials

NHAI plans to offer 15 projects worth Rs 44,000 cr under BOT mode in FY25

State-owned NHAI is looking to offer 15 road projects worth Rs 44,000 crore covering 937 km during the current financial year under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode. Earlier this year, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) came out with a modified BOT project document to attract private companies for investments in the highways sector. These stretches include Guwahati Ring road including Brahmaputra Bridge in Assam (project cost Rs 5,500 crore), Kasarwadi-Rajgurunagar in Maharashtra (Rs 5,954 crore), Pune-Shirur road project in Maharashtra ( Rs 6,170 crore) and Armoor-Mancherial road project in Telangana (Rs 3,175 crore), among others. In BOT projects, private investors take the financing, building and operating a highway project over a concession period of 20-30 years. The developer then recoups investment through user charges or tolls. The changes in BOT projects introduced earlier this year include construction support to concessionaires to complete them on time a

Nitin Gadkari takes charge as Minister of Road Transport and Highways

Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday took charge as the Minister of Road Transport and Highways. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gadkari conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reassigning him this role in Modi 3.0 and remarked that India will be equipped with world-class, modern infrastructure at an accelerated pace under Modi Ji's visionary leadership. Gadkari, popularly referred to as the 'Highway Man of India', is credited with the construction of more than 54,858 km of national highways in the country in the last 10 years. The 67-year-old leader from Nagpur in Maharashtra has been the longest serving road transport & highways minister. Under his leadership, the road ministry aims to complete the construction of 1,386-km Delhi-Mumbai Express by December this year. The former BJP president -- closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- has won three consecutive times from the Nagpur seat, which houses the RSS ...

Indian highways, city roads may soon have dedicated two-wheeler lanes

Insights from government statistics show that an alarming 44 per cent of road accidents and subsequent fatalities in India involve two-wheelers

Road transport fleet operators revenue to grow at 9-11% in FY25: CRISIL

Revenue growth of road transport fleet operators is expected to double to 9-11 per cent this fiscal, riding on better domestic demand amid tepid exports, CRISIL Ratings said on Thursday. It further said operating margin is seen improving 75-100 basis points on better fleet utilisation and steady fuel costs. According to the rating agency, the credit profile of operators should remain strong as well, as they may look to moderate capital expenditure (capex) towards fleet expansion, following strong additions in the past three fiscal years, as new guidelines for air-conditioned driver cabins kick in the next fiscal year. Fleet operators expanded their fleet size by 60 per cent in the three fiscal years through 2024, as demand recovered sharply post the Covid-19 pandemic and returns from fleet additions were immediate. "With focus now on consolidation of operations, fleet additions would moderate to 15 per cent of the existing fleet size this fiscal, on a significantly expanded base,"

Govt's 100-day road map: 700 km corridors, 3,000 km on cards road projects

Highway ministry said it has deliberated on 100-day plan for new government

New BOT terms may revive pvt capex in highways: India Ratings and Research

Most Concerns Attended to, but Toll Estimation and Traffic Diversion from Competing Roads Pose Risk

NHAI identifies 33 highway stretches of 2,741 km for monetisation in FY25

State-owned National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has identified 33 highway stretches cumulatively spanning 2,741 kilometres to monetise during the current financial year through toll operate transfer (TOT) and infrastructure investment trust (InvIT) modes. The identified stretches include Lucknow-Aligarh, Kanpur-Ayodhya-Gorakhpur, and Bareilly-Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, Gurugram-Kotputli-Jaipur bypass and Jaipur-Kishangarh in Rajasthan, Panikoili-Rimuli in Odisha, Chennai bypass in Tamil Nadu, and Muzaffarpur-Darbhanga-Purnia highway in Bihar. "The asset would be monetized through ToT/InvIT modes. "NHAI will have discretion to review and change the above list and modes of monetization," the agency said. NHAI has raised Rs 40,314 crore through various modes of asset monetisation in 2023-24 against the target of Rs 28,868 crore. NHAI's asset monetisation has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore till date. The Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had raised Rs 32,855 crore in .

Road ministry capex utilisation in FY24 closes at record high 99.93%

As against the budgetary outlay of Rs 2.645 trillion in FY24, the road ministry has spent Rs 2.643 trillion. By including private investments, the capex goes up to Rs 3.01 trillion

NHAI executed capex for FY24 increases by 20% to Rs 2.07 trillion

The highway authority has constructed 6,644 km stretch, exceeding its FY24 construction target, according to an official

Up in arms: Feracrylum mandate not gelling with automobile companies

The gel, known as Feracrylum, is used to halt bleeding from burns and wounds. However, it is produced by a single company, Themis Medicare

Stricter norms: Govt tightens noose around scrapping facility regulations

Industrial zones are classified into red, orange, green, and white categories, determined by a pollution index score derived from factors such as emissions, effluents and hazardous waste generation