Transport

Driver booked on charges of culpable homicide in Mumbai's BEST bus crash

Three persons died and 17 others were injured after a bus of the Mumbai's civic transport body BEST rammed into pedestrians as well as vehicles on Monday night, police and municipal corporation officials said. It is suspected the accident near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) L Ward in Kurla took place due to a brake failure, they said, adding the bus driver has been detained. According to the officials, the driver of the BEST bus on route number 332 lost control over the wheel and dashed into pedestrians as well as some vehicles. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking's bus, after ploughing through pedestrians and vehicles, entered into a residential society, Buddha Colony, and came to a halt, they said. Three persons were brought dead from the crash site to nearby Bhabha Hospital, where 17 injured were undergoing treatment, said the officials. Some of the injured were said to be in a critical condition. Multiple vehicles were damaged in th

Maharashtra sets March 31 deadline to fix high security number plates

More than two crore vehicles registered in Maharashtra before April 2019 will have to be fitted with High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) in the next four months to avoid imposition of penalty on their owners. The Maharashtra Transport Commissioner's Office has set March 31, 2025 deadline for installation of the HSRPs to the vehicles and appointed three agencies, after a long-drawn-out tendering process, to carry out the task. The authorities issued the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the new registration plates on Wednesday, a day before the new Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in. To curb vehicle thefts and bring uniformity in vehicle's identity marks, the fitment of these number plates was made mandatory for the vehicles registered in Maharashtra before April 2019, and the onus of installing those was on the manufacturers. Made of a rare aluminum alloy, HSRP contains a retro-reflective film with a verification inscription 'India', a ...

Govt likely to offer 35% subsidy for goods transport on inland waterways

This incentive will be provided only for long-haul movements on waterways - distances greater than 300 km - and will exclude any expenditure incurred on the first and last mile journeys

Shadowfax Tech swings to profit in FY24 with adjusted PAT at Rs 2 crore

Third-party logistics provider Shadowfax Technologies on Tuesday said it has recorded an adjusted PAT (profit after tax) of Rs 2 crore in FY24, against a loss of Rs 123.8 crore in the preceding fiscal. Adjusted PAT includes costs related to Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Revenue grew 33 per cent from Rs 1,415 crore in FY23 to Rs 1,885 crore in FY24, according to a company statement. The Bengaluru-headquartered firm said it has "significantly diversified" its revenue streams and a major contributions now come from value-added services (VAS). "These services include Prime solutions (same day and next day delivery), reverse logistics, hand-to-hand exchange, and the rapidly expanding quick commerce (10-minute delivery). Shadowfax holds a leadership position or controls upwards of 50 per cent market share in each of these services, establishing itself as one of the most diversified 3PL (third-party logistics) players in the market today," the statement said. It further said ..

India's transport future balances fossil fuels and clean technology

The study says that natural gas will dominate fossil fuel demand, gradually replacing petroleum products

Transport assets worth $400 bn in India exposed to climate hazards: Report

Transport assets worth approximately USD 575 billion in South Asia, including USD 400 billion in India, are exposed to climate hazards and rapid deployment of resilience measures needed to prevent risk to the sector which contributes significantly to the region's GDP, according to a report. The South Asian region faces cascading economic losses due to climate risks, with disruptions in transport having cascading effects on key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, and services among others, as per the report jointly published by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). With the frequency and severity of climate events in South Asia escalating sharply in recent years, the cost of inaction in South Asia is staggering and without strategic interventions, climate risks could derail decades of development progress, the report titled 'Transport Infrastructure Reimagined: Forging Resilient Connections ' An Integrated Framework to ...

Uber aims to launch shuttle service in Bengaluru; showcases plan at summit

This is expected to help more people book their travel in larger vehicles like shuttles helping take vehicles off the road

Japan plans automated transport to address driver shortage, cut emissions

Japan is planning to build an automated cargo transport corridor between Tokyo and Osaka, dubbed a conveyor belt road by the government, to make up for a shortage of truck drivers. The amount of funding for the project is not yet set. But it's seen as one key way to help the country cope with soaring deliveries. A computer graphics video made by the government shows big, wheeled boxes moving along a three-lane corridor, also called an auto flow road, in the middle of a big highway. A trial system is due to start test runs in 2027 or early 2028, aiming for full operations by the mid-2030s. We need to be innovative with the way we approach roads, said Yuri Endo, a senior deputy director overseeing the effort at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Apart from making up for a shrinking labour force and the need to reduce workloads for drivers, the system also will help cut carbon emissions, she said. The key concept of the auto flow-road is to create dedicated

KSRTC announces to add 20 luxury buses each worth Rs 1.78 cr to its fleet

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) on Monday announced that it will add 20 luxury -- Airavat Club Class 2.0 model buses -- each worth Rs 1.78 crore to its fleet by the end of this month. KSRTC currently has a total of 443 luxury buses, they said. According to officials, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy accompanied by KSRTC Chairman S R Srinivas (Vasu) visited the Volvo bus manufacturing factory near Hoskote to inspect new buses. Some of the key features of the bus include -- powerful halogen headlights and daytime running lights (DRL) with new plush interiors and Scandinavian-style exteriors, offering visually appealing aesthetics, aerodynamic design providing better fuel efficiency, advanced engine technology, delivering superior performance and improved fuel efficiency (KMPL). The new bus will have 3.5 per cent increase in overall bus length, providing more space between passenger seats. "Windshield glass is 9.5 per cent wider, improving driver visibility and .

New 'stand fee' for interstate buses at Delhi ISBTs to start from midnight

The new 'stand fee' for interstate buses plying from the ISBTs will start from Saturday midnight, Raj Niwas officials said. These revised charges will be collected only through FASTag based system and no bus will be allowed to enter and operate from the terminal's premises without a FASTag, they added. "New uniform stand fee charges for interstate operation of State Government, AITP and other private buses (with valid permit) will kickstart in from the intervening midnight of September 14 and 15. They will be applicable to all such buses plying from ISBTs at Kashmere Gate, Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan," the official said. As per the new scheme of things, private as well as government interstate buses will be paying the same amount of fee for parking and using the bus bays at ISBT. Currently private buses are charged more, which leads to a situation where they unauthorizedly park and pick passengers on roads outside the ISBT complex, resulting in huge traffic snarls apart from .

Rajasthan govt plans Jaipur Metro expansion to key areas in Phase-II

A government official said the work on Metro Phase-2 is expected to begin in the next few months

Captive elephant transfer rules 2024 leave gaps for misuse: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday wrote to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, expressing concern that the Captive Elephant (Transport or Transfer) Rules 2024 notified in March do not effectively prevent the wild capture and commercial trade of elephants. In his letter, Ramesh said the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2022, allowed the non-commercial transfer of elephants for "any other purpose" but failed to clarify what this phrase means, leaving room for misuse. "This is no way to treat India's national heritage animal, declared thus in 2010," Ramesh wrote on X and urged Yadav to reconsider the Rules in light of these concerns and those raised by various animal welfare organisations. Ramesh reminded Yadav that during his speech on the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2022, he had objected to the non-commercial transfer of elephants "for any other purpose". He said this was contrary to the recommendation of the Standing Committee that examined the Bill in

Army collaborates with IOCL for green, sustainable transport solutions

The Indian Army has collaborated with the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) for incorporating green and sustainable transport solutions in the force. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Army and the IOCL in presence of Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande and Indian Oil Chairman Shrikant Madhav Vaidya on Monday to take forward the initiative. At an event, one hydrogen fuel cell bus was received by the Indian Army under the framework of the collaboration. "This marks the commencement of mutually beneficial partnership between Indian Army and IOCL. The MoU emphasised the commitment to fostering innovation and advancing sustainable transport solutions for the future," the defence ministry said. Hydrogen fuel cell technology offers a clean and efficient alternative by converting hydrogen gas into electricity through an electro-chemical process. The process leaves water vapour as the only by-product, thus ensuring zero emission, the ministry said. The hydrogen fuel ce

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