Govt releases FAQs on strategic restructuring of IDBI Bank Ltd (See 'Corp Brief') CCI approves acquisition of majority stake in Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri by GRT Jewellers (See 'Corp Brief') CCI okays acquisition of equity in Kids Clinic India by NuageLux BidCo S.à r.l (See 'Corp Brief') A&C - Licence Agreement governing patent licences, JVA creating Indian joint venture, and MoU governing liaison services, operate in distinct fields and are not subservient to Licence Agreement: SC LB (See 'Legal Desk') CCI approves acquisition of shares in FarMart Service by Impact Fund Denmark (See 'Corp Brief') Govt approves Strategic Restructuring of IDBI Bank (See 'Corp Brief') Joshi highlights Role of Standards in India's Clean Energy Transition (See 'Corp Brief') IBC - Moratorium u/s 14 of the IBC does not apply to a surety in a contract of guarantee to the Corporate Debtor: NCLT (See 'Legal Desk') NSDF, SAI join hands with Indian Oil to bolster Boxing ecosystem in India (See 'Corp Brief') Centre unveils measures giving filip to shipbuilding industry (See 'Corp Brief') NIFTEM-K Hosts India-Canada Roundtable on Pulse Protein Innovation, Value Addition and Strategic Partnerships (See 'Corp Brief') FEMA - Expression 'in charge' contemplates control over day to day business of company & liability cannot be imposed merely on basis of designation in absence of material establishing such responsibility: SAFEMA Tribunal (See 'Legal Desk') HM hosts first meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in New Delhi (See 'Corp Brief') Taking Voice-First Multilingual AI Beyond Borders: BHASHINI at NCGG Mussoorie (See 'Corp Brief') From Farms to Borders: NH-22 Four-Laning Project to boost eonnectivity in Bihar (See 'Corp Brief') Prevention of Corruption Act - Where a company is not an accused, authority cannot attach properties of a person on grounds that said person managed affairs of said company, without showing that proceeds of crime reached said company & were used for acquiring the attached property: SAFEMA Tribunal (See 'Legal Desk') India-UK partnership focuses on industry-led research (See 'Corp Brief') Centre urges States to ensure Display of Healthcare Service Rates at Clinical Establishments (See 'Corp Brief') Chouhan calls for Coordinated Action to boost Farm Incomes (See 'Corp Brief') Companies Act - Subsisting judgment of a Court is required to be complied with by concerned Ministry/authorities & intention to file review petition per se does not constitute grounds for withholding compliance with existing judgment: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Union Minister calls for outcome-oriented implementation of PMDDKY (See 'Corp Brief') BRICS Theatre Festival 2026 commences at National School of Drama (See 'Corp Brief') Reddy launches commercialisation catalogue of technologies (See 'Corp Brief') PMLA - Allegations of contravention of the UAPA, by itself, cannot justify indefinite pre-trial detention in separate PMLA proceedings carrying maximum sentence of seven years: HC (See 'Legal Desk') MeitY Pavilion showcases India's digital innovation at India Mobile Congress 2026 (See 'Corp Brief') DRI seizes around 5.8 kg foreign-origin gold worth Rs. 9 crores (See 'Corp Brief') Keylong to house ICMR's first dedicated centre for high-altitude medicine (See 'Corp Brief') SARFAESI - Demand notice issued under Rule 7(1) of IBC Rules, 2019 does not, per se, commence insolvency proceedings against personal guarantors or trigger interim moratorium per Section 96 of IBC 2016: HC (See 'Legal Desk') Digital Health Resources crucial to Building India's Research Mindset: Health Secy (See 'Corp Brief') 53 Tele-MANAS Cells operational across all 36 States (See 'Corp Brief') CSR is not merely a statutory obligation but as strategic instrument for India's growth: Former Cab Secry (See 'Corp Brief') FEMA - Intimation to Customs does not, by itself, constitute proof of import of software, particularly where the software was claimed to have been received through a data communication channel: Tribunal (See 'Legal Desk') An unsuccessful 'success fee' litigation (See CORP EINSICHT)

Workshop held to help drive transformation in India's road transport sector

Published: Jan 08, 2025

By TIOLCorplaws News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 08, 2025: THE Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) organised a two-day workshop on 6th January 2024 and 7th January 2024 at Bharat Mandapam to holistically deliberate issues, solutions and next steps to be taken to help drive transformation in India's road transport sector. The 1st day of the workshop on 6th January was conducted with Transport Secretaries of all States / UTs, and was chaired by Secretary RT&H, V Umashankar. Additional Secretary Transport, Mahmood Ahmed opened the session and set the themes for the brainstorming workshop on this day.

Following the 6th January workshop with the Government officials, the 7th January workshop was conducted with Hon'ble Transport Ministers of all States / UTs, and was chaired by Hon'ble RT&H Minister, Nitin Gadkari Ji, where key ideas from the 6th January workshop were further expanded and aligned between Central and State Government stakeholders of the Road Transport sector. The day concluded with the 42nd Transport Development Council (TDC) meeting where suggestions from the country's transport organizations (e.g., AIMTC, BOCI and others) were deliberated with the Hon'ble Ministers and Transport Government officials.

During the two-day workshop, the following topics were deliberated, and specific actions for respective stakeholders were aligned, to help propel the road transport ecosystem forward:

1. Sustainable Transport

a. Accelerating implementation of Vehicle Scrapping Policy: Expediting operationalization of Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities (RVSFs) and Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) by states, and standardization of audit requirements & ratings of scrapping centers are some of the ideas discussed in this theme.

b. Pan-India adoption of PUCC 2.0: Revised PUCC guidelines were presented to ensure all the States are onboarded on them at the earliest.

c. Introduction of BS-VII norms: Timelines for introduction of new norms were discussed, along with expected reduction in pollution with the norms.

2. Safer Movement

a. Hon'ble RT&H Minister launched the scheme for pan-India setup of Driver Training Institutes (DTI) which provides incentives for setting up DTIs and additional incentives for integrated infrastructure of ATSs and DTIs.

b. Improvement in road safety through technology (e-DAR, IRAD, Sanjaya, Naksha): Hon'ble RT&H launched Naksha (Data Driven Road Safety Stack) with three applications Sanjaya Portal, Field Perception Survey, Madras matrix for road safety and black spot identification. Live demos were given for all applications. States have committed to using these tools for black spot reduction. Deliberations were done to have single emergency toll free number across the country. States were briefed about HumSafar policy and Wayside Amenities along the National Highways which play a crucial role in providing driver convenience while travelling on Highways.

Mandating reflective tapes to avoid night accidents and leveraging ATMS for e-challan issuance in cases of road safety violations were also deliberated. To promote post-crash care, cashless treatment for road accident victims (toll free number 112) and compensation for hit & run victims were also deliberated.

c. Improvement in E-Rickshaw Safety: It was agreed that given the proliferation of e-rickshaws across the country, specific regulations and guidelines for improving E-Rickshaw safety need to be introduced.

d. Improvement in vehicular safety: For other vehicle categories, to improve the vehicular safety, deliberations were done for:

Upgradation in bus body code for improved safety and accessibility for divyangjans and senior citizens.

Scaling up of BNCAP for all 4W models of OEMs for safety rating

Introduction of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) for trucks

Strict enforcement of Retro reflective tape for transport vehicle safety

e. Implementation of Integrated Command Control Center for women safety in public service vehicles: Implementation of monitoring centers & vehicle location tracking device (VLTD) for safety of women & children were discussed, where ideas such as linking permit of transport vehicles to VLTD status and leveraging geo-location linked to panic button trigger for enforcement agency will be actioned.

3. Smart Mobility for Increased Convenience of Citizens

a. Pan-India launch of all faceless transport services (Vahan, Sarathi): States to complete launch and integration of all Faceless services by end of Mar'25. Further, a Committee of Secretaries with representatives from States, MoRTH and NIC will work towards standardization of faceless services modules, document standardization for registration.

b Adoption of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS): STUs to focus in bringing intelligent system software and components, instead of only hardware. Open loop Smart card payment to be encouraged. Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS) to be integrated with ERSS for enforcement.

c. Pan-India implementation of AITP, BH Series and HSRP in Vehicles: All these services are critical for ease of living and ease of doing business in India. On AITP, it was decided to form a committee to develop a detailed policy incorporating feedback from states. On HSRP, it was aligned that States will have all MoRTH empaneled vendors for HSRP affixation to reduce delays in HSRP implementation on account of litigation.

The workshops concluded with an address from Hon'ble Union Minister, Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari reinforcing the need to brings together all of these themes into a cohesive, forward-looking vision. Our collaborative efforts in this room will lay the foundation for a transport system that serves the needs of every citizen, contributes to our national development, and ensures a sustainable and safe future for all citizens.

TIOL CORP SEARCH

TIOL GROUP WEBSITES