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Govt working on integrated policy for transport sector

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Animesh Singh New Delhi
Last Updated : Jun 14 2013 | 6:07 PM IST
In a first of its kind of exercise, the government is in the process of preparing an integrated transport policy for the nation, which would take into account all the four principal modes of transportation ""highways, railways, airways and coastal shipping.
 
Taking into consideration the total transport volume of the country and the unit cost of each of these modes, the policy would decide as to what kind of improvements and changes would be required in the transport infrastructure by 2025.
 
The Planning Commission has commissioned RITES to conduct a study, wherein it would determine the total transport output or volume of the country. All the four transport sectors would be sending their assessments for the next five years to RITES.
 
Based on these assessments, it would determine the modal or the unit cost of each of these modes and then come to a conclusion as to what kind transport infrastructure would be needed by the country 20 years from now.
 
Apart from making projections about transport infrastructure through assessment of unit costs all the four modes and total transport output, RITES would also be determining the right transport modal mix for 2025.
 
In other words, it would determine as to what would the optimum mode of transport mix for highways, railways, airways and coastal shipping. RITES officials say that this would assist planners in designing a transport vision for the future.
 
RITES has to submit this study to the Planning Commission by December, based on its inputs, the government would draft the integrated transport policy.
 
Official sources say that a significant feature of this policy would be the integration of airways and coastal shipping as important components for the first time.
 
The Planning Commission had earlier conducted similar transport studies in 1980 and 1986. Based on the inputs of these studies, the subsequent Five Year Plans (including the 11th Plan) were formulated. Sources say the current study would provide the basis for the 12th Plan and other subsequent Plan periods.

 
 

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