Nitin Gadkari urges automobile makers to use coastal shipping to transport vehicles
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday flagged off export of Ashok Leyland trucks by coastal route to Bangladesh, and appealed to automobile manufacturers to opt for coastal shipping mode to transport vehicles.
Transportation by road was costly and would pollute the environment even as there was the risk of accidents, the Union Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways said.
“That is the reason that we have decided to use waterways and coastal transport. This is going to reduce the cost, save time and at the same time will be very good for environment.” “I appeal to all automobile manufacturers to use waterways for transporting their automobiles,” he said over video conferencing from Nagpur.
Earlier, he flagged off auto major Ashok Leyland’s consignment of 185 trucks transported through the roll-on roll-off (RoRo) coastal movement from Chennai Port to Mongla Port in Bangladesh.
He recalled that India had signed a coastal shipping agreement with Bangladesh during Prime Minister Narenda Modi’s 2015 visit there.
RoRo service was already happening between Chennai and Kochi and Kochi to Kandla and “this is a great example which is going to inspire and motivate all automobile manufacturers,” Gadkari added.
Minister for State for Shipping and Road Transport, Pon Radhakrishnan said export of …read more
