Government is focusing on the development of water transport in a big way as it is the cheapest means of transportation, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
He also said that a water route between Delhi-Agra will be started soon.
"While travelling by road costs Rs 1.50 and rail transport Re 1, water transport costs as low as mere 20 paise and it also generates employment", Gadkari, who was here to lay the foundation stone of several road projects, said.
Gadkari has been pushing for the development of inter- state water transport and such a service has already been started between Varanasi and Malda.
Saying that a water route will be started between Delhi and Agra soon, Gadkari said that next year when he comes here it will be through the water transport.
While Hero Motocorp shared that it has created 40 films in
association with the Ministry to be played out in schools and institutions to spread awareness about road safety, Mahindra revealed that it has taken up the Mumbai-Pune expressway for its Rs 22-crore intervention project which aims to remove fatalities completely by 2020, the industry body said.
"Currently fatal accident count on this stretch is around 130 per year," the statement added.
General Motors said it believes that it is most important to "first put one's house in order." And that is why it has decided to focus on effecting a change in the behaviour and attitude of Indian drivers, the statement said.
Eicher Motors is establishing 10 medical centres along a 475 km route on the treacherous Leh-Manali stretch.
Maruti Suzuki is expanding its driving training programme with more than 400 schools across India with the aim to "train the trainers", the industry body said.
