[Tushar]

India's automotive industry is growing at a rate that the infrastructure can't keep up with. In light of the growing need for improved infrastructure, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced a 10 lakh Crore investment for India's highways and shipping sector. There will be a 50-50 divide for the amount allocated.

Gadkari has long been associated with roadworks in the country and he spearheaded projects such as the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, apart from building several flyovers in Maharashtra. The government's plan is to reach a target of building 30 kms of road a day by March 2016. The road-map includes plans to convert the Delhi-Meerut highways into 16-lane roads, besides completing Delhi-Jaipur highways by June this year.

The ministry is also said to be conceptualizing plans to build road networks that can enable 1,000 kms of travel in six hours. Apart from the highways sector, the government is also looking to turn multiple water-bodies into transportation routes.

Source: ET

*Image for representation only

[rsidd]

Someone should tell him that advanced nations (other than the US) are doing everything they can to discourage driving and develop rail and other networks. Rail is not his ministry, of course. But the land acquired for this project would be better used for high-speed rail lines. There isn't a single train in the country that can do 1000km in 6 hours, which is well short of "high-speed" standards. But 1000km in 6 hours by car? In which country has he seen that? Certainly not the US, where the highest speed limit is 75 mph (120 kph). I would guess that even in Germany, 1000km in 6 hours would be impossible. In India, with our lack of road discipline, attempting it would be complete insanity.

[sdp1975]

Where will the 5 lac crore come from ? Investments in the road sector have dried up due to problems with land acquisition, delayed payments to contractors, court orders etc. Recently the government reached out to the EPFO to invest it's funds, but I don't think that will materialize either.

These reports look good on paper , turning it into reality is a different thing altogether.

[Carpainter]

Yes the ground reality won't allow the government to do things like that so easily. May be the estimates he's given like 30kms. per day is a bit outrageous for our country. But we should appreciate the fact that at least the officials are thinking of it at the first place. If we don't ever think of doing something because it's difficult, we'd never be able to do anything. And then people will blame the government for not doing its job. Let them think in the right direction. Whether they will be able to execute all their ideas or not, only time will say.

[asr245]

Originally Posted by rsidd

But 1000km in 6 hours by car? In which country has he seen that? Certainly not the US, where the highest speed limit is 75 mph (120 kph). I would guess that even in Germany, 1000km in 6 hours would be impossible. In India, with our lack of road discipline, attempting it would be complete insanity.

So that's about 166.66kmph average for 6 hours. Is there any normal car (like a B/C/D segment car) which can do that for that long? I am sure that if I try that with my City, tires would be shot (if they have not exploded first) midway through the journey and the engine would be toast. Not to mention how much effort one would have to put in to concentrate at such high speeds. Sounds more like a WEC effort (with normal cars) than a drive.

And a 16 lane road from Meerut to Delhi?? Not going to happen in my lifetime. How about a high speed metro train (on the lines of airport express) which goes from Meerut to Manesar with stops every 10 kms (or so) so that one does not have to crowd at one central point?

How can these people to elected to such high posts but have lesser common sense than common man?

[msdivy]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Where will the 5 lac crore come from ?

Just in case they raise the money, they will splurge on land acquisition costs.

[klassics45]

Is there any reason to pick Delhi - Meerut for 16 lane highway? i mean is that so busy?

[vipul_singh]

@klassics45: yes, extremely congested and unpredictible, going by my personal experiences. Apart from supporting within-UP traffic, it is also a major gateway to Uttarkhand.

[sourav9385]

...***In a shady govt building, somewhere in la-la land***...

Random politico 1: Sirji, yeh aam aadmi log aajkal bahut sare cars khareed rahe hai. Inke paas itna paisa kahan se aa raha hai?
(Sir, the common man is buying too many cars these days, from where are they getting so much money?)

Random politico 2: Arrey yaar, paisa kahan se aa raha hai, uske bare mein soch ke kya fayda?!? Agar jyada paisa kamayenge, toh jyada tax bhee bharenge, hai na?
(Dude, why are you bothered about the source of their income. If they earn more, wont they pay more tax?)

RP 1: Haan Sirji, baat toh sahi hai. Lekin thoda aur paisa banana chahiye humlog ko bhi, woh bhi unke income se! Koi nayi scheme sochte hai saar.
(Yes sir, your logic is correct. But still, we should try to earn more money by using public's money. Let's think of a new scheme)

RP 2: Soch Liya! Bahut asaan hai bhai, ek naya project launch karo! Publicly announce karo ki humlog bahut sara paisa use karke achhe roads banayenge. Public khush ho jayegi, aur humara project approve ho jayega! Fir kya, bas araam hee araam hai
(Eureka! Very easy. Launch a new project, tell the public that we will make good new roads, by using a lot of money. Public happy, project approved! Then what, we can relax.

RP 1: Araam kaise Sirji? Naya project ayega toh kaam bhi toh karna padega, hai na?
(How relax saar? Won't we have to work for the new project?)

RP 2: Arey moorkh! Govt mein naukri karte ho, aur kaam ki baat karte ho? Pagal kutta kaata hai kya tumko? Soch ke dekho, sarkaar itna sara paisa sanction karegi project ke liye, usse hum apni jeb bharenge. 1-2 nayi roads banayenge dikhane ke liye, baki ka paisa apni jeb mein. Public sochegi ki naye roads banne wale hain, woh aur gaadiyan khareedegi, petrol & diesel khareedegi. Aur sara tax ka paisa bhi humare jeb mein. More caars = more tax = more earnings, hai ki nahi?
(You moron, working in a govt office and talking about work! Have you gone mad? Think, man! We will use most of the sanctioned money to fill our own pockets. Then, make 1-2 good roads to fool the public. They will think we are making progress, so they will keep buying more and more cars & more fuel, and thus pay more and more tax. All the money comes into our pockets, isn't it?

RP 1: Kya baat hai Sirji! Isiliye aap neta-ji hain!
(Awesome sauce! That's why you are a politico!

Hope the non-hindi speaking folk don't take offense at me.
It's just that whenever I hear of such grand plans made by some moron in the govt, I can't help but imagine what must have gone through their heads to come up with something like that. Sigh...Just another money minting scheme.

[SchumiFan]

The Govt in its previous term introduced the Golden Quadrilateral project (if I am not wrong).

As much as we would like money to be spent on high speed rails, roads are still very much important to the country.

The target set maybe high but they have done it previously and I hope they do this time as well. I am traveling 50km one way daily and I hope the existing ones are relaid as well. Back breaking experience even on NH.

[sinharishi]

In addition to the the above mentioned article on ET, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has also promised the widening of NH-24 into a 14-lane highway from Delhi to Dasna.

NH-24 has always been ignored by the UP Govt and NHAI. I really hope Mr. Nitin Gadkari stick to his word and do something about NH-24, at least widen the road from UP gate to Hindon river.

The minister said he took this stretch of NH-24 for the first time and personally experienced the pain that commuters face on this corridor. "There is a proposal to widen this road to 14 lanes and NHAI has prepared it. We will take it up as a part of Delhi-Meerut Expressway package"

Source:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/46320803.cms

[braindead]

Originally Posted by Tushar

Apart from the highways sector, the government is also looking to turn multiple water-bodies into transportation routes.

The part about water transport is the most interesting. Inland water transport is the most underrated form of transport in India. Enabling the transposition of bulk goods on rivers, canals and creeks will free up roads and railways for growth. Also, transport over water is more energy efficient than on the road.

We keep hearing statements like this now and again. Then nothing happens.
I am cautiously optimistic.

[ramzsys]

Looks like the current transport minister is a hammer man, as in, "if the only tool you have is a hammer, then you will see every problem as a nail". He may have experience, but when you move from a corporation to a state and to the whole country, you need more holistic views(thanks to Manish Tewari for the word holistic).

It is true that such massive projects will make use of the demographic dividend and provide employment. But at what cost?
India, or even the world, doesn't have a bottomless pit of crude oil. So any long term plan must take into the environment costs of creating such a project as well.

If i look at my neighborhood, all i see is cars and more cars. At least cars that run on roads justify their existence- but what about cars that are kept parked with a cover for weeks and taken out once in a blue moon for that marriage function? It is such a terrible waste of precious resources and skill to make such cars, let alone the environmental costs and the fuel that is kept in the tanks. I am a ET reader and a fan of market economics, but for once let me speak like 'The Hindu' and say that indeed cars of this country need to be nationalized.

It is inevitable that nuclear energy IS the way forward for India's humongous energy needs, then why not plan it for the railways demand as well?

For expansion of railways, you need to infuse massive funds. Which that dinosaurs(thanks for coining the word, bhpian sgiitk) will swallow without any difficulty owing to the mammoth size of that organization, while work will be kept pending owing to the red tape and the land bank constraints. By the way, did you all see how the land bill got stuck in that red building?

So what next? You talk about privatization of railways and the union guys will paralyze rail transport for days.

Looks like our top man is a doer, but the above short analysis explains why that 'acche din' will really take a long time to even plan.

[vinjosep]

Couldn't help..... had to comment.

1000km in 6 hours? What were they smoking?! German Autobahn is the benchmark for the best highways for speeding (legally). Even there this is impossible.

Maybe he meant 100km in 6 hours - that's realistic. We have that and better here. Its called the Mysore-Bangalore highway with just under 200 speed breakers.

16-laned highway? Knowing our brethren, they will convert this in seconds into a 20-lane traffic jam... the moment it opens!

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Tushar

The ministry is also said to be conceptualizing plans to build road networks that can enable 1,000 kms of travel in six hours. Apart from the highways sector, the government is also looking to turn multiple water-bodies into transportation routes.

1000 kms in 6 hours means i need to drive at an average speed of 200 kmph . My speedo should show 200 kmph, so that considering morons on the road, I reduce speed and i average 166 kmph. How many cars can drive at that speed and how many can afford those cars. People who can afford those cars will obviously fly business class for 1000 kms rather than drive/be driven.

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Where will the 5 lac crore come from ?

5 lak crore is easily achieveable. Govt, just needs to add a cess / additonal tax on everything like service tax / road tax etc. This will fetch 10 lac crore easily, over a period of 5 years. Even assuming 5 lakh crore for scams and other things, It is pretty easy to garner 5 lakh crores for road transport. Alternatively, They could also launch some Long Term Infra bonds. (LTI Bonds)

Originally Posted by asr245

lifetime. How about a high speed metro train (on the lines of airport express) which goes from Meerut to Manesar with stops every 10 kms (or so) so that one does not have to crowd at one central point?

High Speed metro train will not be firm the long run. Owing to revenue / political pressure / other reasons, the average speed is reduced over period of time. Statistics show that the average speed of Indian railways is stagnant / decreasing. There is no real affort nationwide to reduce the travel time by rail.

Originally Posted by SchumiFan

The Govt in its previous term introduced the Golden Quadrilateral project (if I am not wrong). As much as we would like money to be spent on high speed rails, roads are still very much important to the country.

Absolutely, I second you on this. We definetly need more better roads as equal as need to better trains. Trains are public transport meant for mass transotation and anyday, i would prefer to drive anytime, just for the comfort and flexibility of an own car, compared to train. If there are some comfortable trains like TGV with meal quality on par with TGV, then i would take it.