A few days ago, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) announced a new plan to make Indian driving conditions safer along with the announcement of a brand-new highway fordevotees to the Kailash Mansarovar site
Since 2014, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has been on a roll under the leadership of Nitin Gadkari. Nitin Gadkari’s vision has not only revolutionised the Indian automobile scenario, but the minister and his works have changed the overall condition of the Indian roads and highways. Recently, the MoRTH announced new plans to enhance the safety of Indian car users and the construction of a brand-new highway for devotees to an important pilgrimage site.
What is the importance of this article?
As we are thoroughly aware, Indian roads and highways are known for accidents. Therefore, MoRTH’s new plan to safeguard Indian car users is worth a read. Moving on to the construction of the new highway, it is an important political and strategical move from MoRTH because as of now, to reach that pilgrimage site, Indians have to enter two other neighbouring countries which is a headache for several devotees. In our opinion, the new plans of MoRTH must be read by people.
Six airbags mandatory
MoRTH has announced that from 1 October 2022, vehicles that accommodate eight people and weigh less than 3.5 tonnes must be equipped with six airbags. This will make the cars safer, but at the same time, such cars will become dearer by an additional INR 50,000. People may not like the increase in cost, but people must understand that their lives are more important than INR 50,000.
Also, the new decision taken by MoRTH is likely to upset some players in the automobile industry because, as of 2022, there are several manufacturers who do not provide curtain and side airbags in their vehicles. Those manufacturers will have to change the exterior shell of their vehicles along with the interior as well. In short, a lot of work for them.
New Kailash Mansarovar highway via Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh
The MoRTH announced that from 2023, pilgrims will be able to reach Kailash Mansarovar using a new highway via Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh. As of now, Indian pilgrims have to depend on Nepal and China to reach the pilgrimage site, but given the differences between the countries, MoRTH wishes to make the journey easier and safer for the pilgrims.
Last but not the least, Gadkari said, “I don’t want to travel to Kailash Mansarovar via Nepal or China. Indians will be able to reach Mansarovar from Pithoragarh by the end of 2023. We have completed 85% of the work.”
