Nitin Gadkari says, 'I travel in a hydrogen vehicle': Minister reveals hydrogen buses to be introduced on 10 routes

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the government was promoting alternative fuels such as hydrogen and electric mobility while working to expand public transport and reduce pollution and fuel imports.

Speaking about the government's push for cleaner transportation, Gadkari said he himself travelled in a hydrogen-powered vehicle and referred to the Toyota Mirai as an example of the technology.

“I travel in a hydrogen vehicle. Its name is Mirai, which means future,” Gadkari said.


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He also said hydrogen-powered buses would be introduced on 10 routes as part of efforts to promote clean mobility.

Nitin Gadkari on hydrogen vehicles and clean fuel

Gadkari said the government was simultaneously promoting electric vehicles, including electric tractors, while supporting the development of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

He said the wider adoption of clean fuels could help India reduce pollution and its dependence on imported fuel without compromising on safety.

The minister has repeatedly highlighted alternative fuels and new technologies as part of India's transition towards cleaner transportation.

Gadkari on affordable AC buses: “This is our dream”

Speaking about public transport, Gadkari said the new bus service launched in Madhya Pradesh was aimed at providing safer, affordable and accountable transportation, particularly for poorer sections of society.

“Poor people should get facilities. They should get better facilities in AC buses and the ticket fare should be 30 per cent lower than that of diesel buses. This is our dream,” he said.

Gadkari said the government wanted to make public transport more popular in India, noting that the transport sector accounts for a substantial share of air pollution.

He also said several measures were being taken to improve bus safety and quality, including stricter testing requirements before vehicles are registered.

New buses to be accessible for senior citizens, disabled passengers

Gadkari said bus designs would be made more accessible for persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

The proposed changes would focus on making boarding easier and improving accessibility across public transport services.

He also highlighted the government's vehicle scrappage programme, saying efforts were under way to increase the number of vehicle scrapping and testing centres.

32 driving centres started in Madhya Pradesh

Gadkari said 32 driving centres had been established in Madhya Pradesh to address the shortage of trained drivers.

He linked the expansion of training facilities to the wider need for skilled workers in India's growing transport and automobile sectors.

Waste-to-CNG projects could help farmers

The minister also highlighted the potential of converting waste into fuel.

Gadkari said Nagpur was producing 28 tonnes of CNG every day from waste, while around 4,000 similar projects were being taken up across the country.

According to Gadkari, such projects could create an additional source of income for farmers while helping reduce fuel imports and pollution.

PM e-Bus Sewa: 10,000 buses, Rs 57,000 crore outlay

Gadkari said the Centre's PM e-Bus Sewa scheme envisaged the deployment of 10,000 buses with an outlay of Rs 57,000 crore.

He said the scheme was expected to generate between 45 lakh and 55 lakh jobs, adding that 972 buses had already been sanctioned under the programme.

The minister also pointed to the shortage of buses in India. According to him, the country has around two buses per 1,000 people, compared with a requirement of eight buses per 1,000 people.

“This is our dream” of expanding public transport, Gadkari said while stressing the need to increase the availability of buses across the country.

Gadkari wants India to manufacture 2 lakh buses

Gadkari said the government wanted to facilitate the manufacture of two lakh buses over the next three years.

He also said India could become a global leader in the automobile industry.

According to Gadkari, India's automobile sector has moved from being the world's seventh-largest to the third-largest, after overtaking Japan.

Gadkari says transport sector accounts for 40% of air pollution

Gadkari said the transport sector accounts for around 40 per cent of India's air pollution and said he had taken responsibility for addressing the issue.

The minister has linked the government's focus on electric vehicles, hydrogen, alternative fuels, vehicle scrappage and public transport to efforts to tackle pollution.

Gadkari highlights jobs through private vehicles as taxis

Gadkari also spoke about amendments to motor vehicle rules introduced in 2019 that enabled private vehicle owners to use their vehicles as taxis.

He said the move had created employment opportunities for drivers.

“These small decisions have created four crore jobs,” he said, adding that four crore drivers had found employment: 1.2 crore through cars, 55 lakh through autorickshaws and 2.5 crore through two-wheelers.

Gadkari said the provision had so far been implemented in only three states and argued that wider adoption could create up to 12 crore employment opportunities.

“Providing employment to the unemployed is the most important task”

“Providing employment to the unemployed is the most important task in the country today. If all states implement this, 12 crore employment opportunities will be created,” Gadkari said.

He added that if Madhya Pradesh implemented the measure, between 40 lakh and 50 lakh unemployed people could earn a livelihood with dignity.

Gadkari invokes Deendayal Upadhyaya's 'antyodaya'

Referring to the philosophy of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, whose birth anniversary falls on Friday, Gadkari highlighted the concept of “antyodaya”, the uplift of the person at the bottom of society.

Gadkari said the earlier state government bus service in Madhya Pradesh had suffered losses and was eventually shut down. The new model, he said, uses technology to provide safer, economical and accountable bus services.

He said the broader objective was to ensure that poorer sections of society could access better transport facilities and that the benefits of development reached those at the bottom of society.


Inputs from PTI