India To Upgrade 25000 Km Highways For Green Mobility
The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has unveiled a transformative vision for India’s transport sector, including plans to upgrade 25,000 kilometers of two-lane highways into four-lane corridors to support electro mobility. This ambitious roadmap focuses on green, efficient, and futuristic solutions aimed at significantly reducing pollution and enhancing connectivity nationwide.
Central to this vision are next-generation initiatives such as electric rapid transport systems and hyperloop corridors planned for urban areas. In hilly and remote regions like Kedarnath, the strategy includes implementing ropeways, cable cars, and funicular railways. Already, 60 out of 360 proposed projects have commenced, indicating rapid progress. The national highway length has expanded by 60% since 2013-14, reaching 1.46 lakh kilometers, while High-Speed Corridors have seen substantial growth.
To bolster environmental objectives, the government plans to plant up to 25 crore trees along highways, with a policy to transplant old trees and plant five new ones for every one cut. Pilot projects for electric buses with airline-grade amenities are also underway, including a 135-seater e-bus in Nagpur designed for high speeds and lower operational costs than diesel alternatives, with expansion planned for key inter-city routes.
The Minister also highlighted the integration of technological innovations such as precast road construction and AI-based safety systems, complemented by drones and surveillance cameras to enhance road safety and efficiency. Furthermore, 11 major automakers have committed to developing flex-fuel engine vehicles, a move expected to reduce India’s reliance on fossil fuels and imports.
These comprehensive projects aim to revolutionize mass transport, drastically cutting logistics costs from 14% to 9% of GDP. Such measures are crucial for reducing air pollution, to which transport contributes nearly 40%.
