Page 4 - Transport

Ind-Ra expects stable operating performance for most infra projects in FY25

India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) expects stable operating performance for most infrastructure projects in the current financial year. The rating agency on Thursday maintained its stable outlook on the infrastructure sector, including the transport segment which signifies low chances of rating changes for the sector in the near to medium term. The rating agency assigned a positive outlook on the airport segment which means there are high chances of rating upgrades in the near to medium term. Ind-Ra stated that the stable outlook on the infrastructure sector factors in the likelihood of a stable operating performance for most projects, long-term revenue visibility under concession agreements and power purchase pacts and expected improved cargo and traffic volumes. On the power sector, the rating agency said it expects total capacity installed to reach about 476 GW in FY25 against 440 GW as of March 2024. In a virtual press meet, Bharat Kumar Reddy, Associate Director at India ..

Rapido offers free rides to voters on May 13 in Hyderabad, 3 other cities

Rapido, India's foremost commute app, on Monday said it pledges to provide free bike taxi, auto and cab rides to voters across Hyderabad and also Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal on May 13, the polling day. Rapido is joining hands with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer to further encourage people to vote in the biggest festival of democracy. To that end, Rapido organised an event to raise voter awareness at the Lal Bahadur Shastri (LB) Stadium here in which was graced by the presence of Vikas Raj, CEO. On election day, voters can avail free rides on the Rapido app using the code 'VOTENOW' and get a free ride to exercise their democratic right. The initiative aims to facilitate residents' voting rights and ensure a more inclusive electoral process, the release said. This concerted effort aligns with Rapido's nationwide campaign, deploying over 10 lakh captains across more than 100 cities to provide free rides on election day, it further said. Rapido's Co-founder Pavan ...

NCRTC's 1st electric vehicle charging station operational at Sahibabad RRTS

The National Capital Region Transport Corporation's (NCRTC) first Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station at Sahibabad RRTS station in Ghaziabad has been made operational, a statement said on Sunday. Situated at gate number 1 of the Sahibabad Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) station, the newly operational EV charging station boasts a comprehensive array of charging units catering to various electric vehicle models, it said. This step is one of the many measures for ensuring last-mile connectivity, the statement stated, adding that it will allow people to charge their four-wheelers in just one hour using the fast charging facility. According to the statement, they could also use the slow charging facility at the station to charge their four-wheelers in three hours and two-wheelers in one and a half hours. Furthermore, users will have the convenience of paying for the electricity consumed per unit-wise through the same mobile application, with the added flexibility of online payme

US vows to keep Boeing under microscope after audit: Secy Buttigieg

The FAA also said Monday it found "non-compliance issues in Boeing's manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control."

Bike taxis fall within definition of contract carriage: Road ministry

On the legal status of 'bike taxi', the road transport ministry has clarified that motorcycles fall within the definition of 'contract carriage' as per the Motors Vehicles Act, 1988. A contract carriage, according to the MV Act, is a vehicle carrying passengers for hire under a specific agreement. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), in an advisory to states, said that it has been brought to its notice that certain states/UTs are, while processing applications for grant of permits, taking the view that 'motorcycle' is not eligible to ply under contract carriage or operate as a transport vehicle. "It is clarified that as per section 2(28) of the MV Act, vehicles having less than four wheels fitted with an engine capacity exceeding 25cc are also included within the definition of motor vehicles. Hence, 'motorcycles' shall fall within the ambit of Section 2(7) of the Act," the advisory notification said. The contract carriage agreement involves renting an entire vehicle

Govt issues guidelines for transport pilot projects on green hydrogen use

The government on Wednesday issued scheme guidelines to support pilot projects based on the use of green hydrogen as fuel in buses, trucks and four-wheelers. The scheme will be implemented with a total budgetary outlay of Rs 496 crore till the financial year 2025-26, a statement by the Ministry of New Renewable Energy said. The central government has come out with guidelines for undertaking pilot projects for using green hydrogen in the transport sector. "Scheme Guidelines for Implementation of Pilot Projects for Use of Green Hydrogen in the Transport Sector" have been issued by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) on February 14, 2024, under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, according to the statement. With the falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers, it is expected that vehicles based on green hydrogen can become cost-competitive over the next few years. Future economies of scale and rapid technological advancements in the field of vehicles powered by ..

Total value of asset monetisation in national highways hits Rs 1 trn mark

NHAI raises Rs 15,624 crore through InvIT

Logistics firm V-Trans India Ltd targets Rs 3,000 cr turnover by 2026

Logistics firm V-Trans (India) on Thursday said it is targeting a turnover of Rs 3,000 crore by 2026. The company also said it had outlined a comprehensive strategy focusing on surface transport and leveraging technology for sustainable profitability. As part of the growth plan, the company said it will prioritize growth in its core competence area, surface transport, while also expanding its multimodal logistics operations, including air and road combinations. In the full truckload (FTL) segment V-Trans aims to capitalise on the USD 120 billion market and look to capture a more significant share by enhancing its presence in this lucrative segment, it said. Also, with 30 per cent of overall revenue coming from northern India, V-Trans will make substantial investments in expanding branches, warehouses, and infrastructure in this region, the company said, adding that it plans further expansions by opening new branches in tier 3 and 4 tier cities of eastern and western UP, Uttarakhand

R K Singh meets transport sector to explore ways to utilise green hydrogen

Union Minister R K Singh on Thursday assured stakeholders that if required, additional funds will be allocated under the National Green Hydrogen Mission for the decarbonisation of the transport sector. Chairing a meeting of government and industry stakeholders from the transport sector in the national capital, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy transition and India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) commitment to reduce emissions intensity. The minister said that, if necessary, the government would be ready to allocate additional funds beyond the already earmarked Rs 496 crore for the transport sector under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, according to an official statement. There should be a concerted series of trials for identifying the potential of green hydrogen in the transport sector so that a national roadmap for the decarbonisation of the sector through use of green hydrogen can be formulated, he said. The roadmap should include details of pilo

Adani Power appoints Dilip Jha as CFO with effect from April this year

The Adani Power board on Thursday approved the appointment of Dilip Kumar Jha as Chief Financial Officer from April 1, 2024. Shailesh Sawa will relinquish his position as Chief Financial Officer of the company, following his transition to a new role, which shall be effective from closure of the business hours on March 31, 2024, a BSE filing stated. Jha, presently serving as Head (Finance & Accounts) within Adani Portfolio of Companies, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer (a Key Managerial Personnel, categorised as Senior Management Personnel), commencing from April 1, 2024, it stated. Sawa was appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in July 2020. Sawa will transition from his position to a new role in Group Regulatory Engagement for Adani's portfolio of companies. This transition is part of a leadership capability development initiative being undertaken across the Adani portfolio of companies in furtherance of a long-term vision to enhance employee engagement, build

Volvo Bus India bags order for 122 premium coaches from Odisha govt

Volvo Bus India on Thursday said it has bagged an order for the supply of 122 premium luxury coaches from the Odisha government. The order comes under the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) Scheme, a flagship programme initiated by the state government to provide rural connectivity through Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC). "We are honoured to be selected as the preferred partner for this landmark initiative by OSRTC and the Government of Odisha," VE Commercial Vehicles MD and CEO Vinod Aggarwal said in a statement. OSRTC MD Diptesh Kumar Pattnayak said the collaboration for the deployment of premium buses is a testament to the shared vision of creating a modern, efficient, and sustainable public transportation network. "This will have a long-lasting impact on government initiatives that aim to transform transportation infrastructure and contribute to the socio-economic development in rural and urban areas," he added. Over the past 25 years, Volvo Bu

Russian plane crashes near Ukraine with 65 Kyiv prisoners of war on board

A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew and three people accompanying them crashed on Wednesday morning in Russia's Belgorod region near Ukraine, Russia's Defense Ministry said. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash, which occurred around 11 a.m. It was also not known if anyone survived. The authorities were investigating the cause of the crash, and a special military commission was on the way to the crash site, the Defense Ministry said. Earlier Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a major Russian missile attack that apparently was devised to overwhelm Ukraine's air defenses had killed 18 people and injured 130. Ukraine is marking the 700th day since the full-scale invasion by Kremlin's forces started. The barrage employing more than 40 ballistic, cruise, anti-aircraft and guided missiles early Tuesday hit 130 residential buildings in three Ukrainian cities, all ordinary houses, Zelenskyy said on X, formerl

DTC partners with travel app Tummoc to introduce 'single-journey ticket'

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has partnered with a travel app for ensuring that commuters in the national capital do not have to visit multiple sites to book bus tickets and cabs by bringing different modes of transport on one platform. The trial for the government's "single-journey ticket" project has commenced and will last for seven days, officials said. "We have started a trial run for the project. DTC has partnered with Tummoc, a travel app, for this. We are introducing digital DTC passes and all-in-ticket. The trial run will go for seven days so that the users can give their feedback. We will also get to know about the technical glitches if there are any and will improve them before we launch it formally," a transport department official said. Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot told PTI that the single-journey ticket will save users the time and energy while booking autos and cabs. "We have tied up with Tummoc to launch single-journey ticket. Under this, the same

32% vehicles in Kerala currently uninsured, says Transport deptartment

Thirty-two per cent of vehicles in Kerala are currently uninsured, posing a threat to several lives, state Transport Commissioner, S Sreejith has said. Sreejith said the Motor Vehicle Department was making all-out efforts to achieve complete insurance coverage for all vehicles. Sreejith made this statement during a recent Women's Motorcycle Rally as part of the IRDAI mandated insurance awareness drive launched by general insurer Magma HDI at Thiruvananthapuram. "Putting several lives at huge risk, 32 per cent of the vehicles on the Kerala roads are currently uninsured. In a bid to address this alarming statistic, the Motor Vehicle Department is on an all-out effort to achieve complete insurance coverage for all vehicles," Sreejith was quoted in a release. Emphasizing the importance of insurance, he said apart from vehicles, people should also be aware of its need for themselves and their assets as well. Magma HDI, in the release said that low insurance awareness has been cited as

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Delhi govt plans WhatsApp-based bus ticketing system on metro routes

The Delhi government is planning to launch a WhatsApp-based bus ticketing system in the national capital on the lines of the Delhi Metro, officials said. They said the Transport Department of the city government is working on rolling out the digital ticketing system for DTC and cluster buses. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) already has a WhatsApp-based ticketing system in place. The service was launched in May this year and subsequently extended to all corridors of the rapid transit system, including the Gurugram Rapid Metro. There will be a cap on the number of tickets a user can generate. For purchasing Delhi Metro tickets, passengers have to send a message with the text Hi' to +91 9650855800 on WhatsApp or scan the provided QR code to effortlessly purchase metro tickets using their smartphones across the whole network. Ticket cancellations are not allowed in WhatsApp ticketing. A marginal convenience fee is applied to transactions made via credit or debit card, while no

Bike-taxi service provider Rapido drives cabs into Uber, Ola lane

Bike-taxi service provider launches new segment with subscription model for driver partners

Road accidents in India at decade low, but number of fatalities up

70% accidents caused by over-speeding; two-wheeler riders, pedestrians among most vulnerable

FMCG supply chain gridlock: Demand declines and inventory adds up

The situation remains the same even in central India as inventory days have gone up to 20 days which was lower earlier

UP govt to install CCTV, panic buttons in buses and cabs to ensure safety

A total of 21,155 buses, Ola and Uber have been identified to install panic buttons along with CCTV cameras to strengthen the safety of women and elderly people