Gadkari meets K'taka CM, suggests ways to solve B'luru traffic woes [details inside]

Keeping in view the issues surrounding the traffic congestion problems in Bengaluru, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari chaired a meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday.

Officials said that the two ministers brainstormed over the ideas suggested by professional agencies.

Gadkari directed the state officials to submit proposals regarding the demands and works related to the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and also assured full support of the Union Ministry to the state. He also suggested exploring options to create Bus-Ports, Inter-Modal Stations and Parking Plazas to solve traffic woes.

Minister of State V.K. Singh, State Transport Minister B. Sriramulu and others were also present in the meeting.

MANTHAN - Idea to Action

Earlier, during the day, inaugurating the two-day National Conference 'MANTHAN - Idea to Action', Gadkari said all the stakeholders should understand each other's issues, and with mutual consent focus on planning futuristic policies so that the country's transport is run on the fuel made in India only. He emphasized on the qualitative contribution and vision for creating new things for making India the foremost developed country.

The Minister underscored the importance of an integrated approach with multi-modal transportation being at the core if India has to become a five trillion dollar economy. He said 90 per cent of the passenger traffic and 70 per cent of goods traffic used roads, and there was a need for an integrated approach where waterways, railways and airports were interlinked, and logistics parks would play a critical role. If the state governments provide land, the Ministry of Road Transport will facilitate the construction of logistics parks.

(With inputs from IANS)