Tata Nano disturbed urban road transport by adding to traffic congestion, says Mansukh Mandaviya

Though home grown automaker, Tata Motors introduced its Nano car within a price bracket of Rs. 1.5 lakhs to two lakhs for middle class buyers, but in a way it disturbed urban road transport by only adding to the traffic congestion, Union Minister of State for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Mansukh L Mandaviya said at an ASSOCHAM event held in New Delhi today.

"We need to promote research and innovation for devising a sustainable urban road transport model that is suitable for India and should not ape the west," said Mandaviya while inaugurating an ASSOCHAM conference on 'Sustainable Urban Road Transport.'

"Everyone talks about promoting use of bio-fuel, renewable sources of energy, electric/hybrid vehicles, automation and other such techniques, all of this is important but we need to come up with own model based on traditional and indigenous ways and means as that would be more apt for Indian conditions," said the Union Minister.

"It is not necessary that a model which has been successful in a particular country will also prove to be fruitful for India, we need to devise our own model to tackle our problems," he added.

He said that increasing number of celebrities and VVIPs should ride bicycles to promote a more sustainable and friendly form of urban mobility.

"More influential people should begin to embrace the bicycle as an alternative for stimulating a more sustainable urban mobility," he said.

The Union Minister further emphasized upon the use of bicycles linking it to positive values such as social equity, environment friendly and healthy mode of transport.