Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has once again hit the accelerator on the traffic debate — this time with a no-holds-barred take on Delhi NCR’s urban chaos.
Describing the capital’s road congestion as “ Maha bayankar ” , Gadkari offered both a scathing critique and a tech-powered roadmap for change.
Recalling his own traffic trauma, Gadkari said, “I used to sit in traffic in Dhaula Kuan for 1.5 hours every day. Four years of my life got wasted in trying to improve just Dhaula Kuan.”
Taking aim at the unchecked rise in private vehicle ownership and the lack of urban planning, Gadkari questioned the logic behind the capital’s infrastructure choices.
“You build big bungalows in Delhi but you don’t build parking. Do we build roads so you can park your cars on the side of it?” he asked pointedly. “A family of four in Delhi will have eight cars — and the number is only increasing," he said while addressing AIMA's 10th National Leadership Conclave.
Gadkari warned that adding more roads or flyovers is not enough. Citing Mumbai’s example, he noted, “I built many flyovers in Mumbai, but by the time they were completed, population growth had already outpaced the infrastructure.”
Gadkari’s roadmap for decongestion
For all his criticism, Gadkari offered tangible solutions.
He announced a pilot project in Nagpur featuring a ‘flash bus’, a high-tech, rapid-charge electric bus built using technology from Siemens and Hitachi.
“This bus can go 40 km after charging for just half a minute. It has 135 executive chairs, TVs, and even a hostess — like an air hostess,” he said.
The first tender for the project will be issued by the end of April. If successful, these flash buses could be deployed across India. Not only are they futuristic in design, but they’re also cost-efficient — ticket prices are expected to be 30% lower than those of diesel buses.
Gadkari stressed that reducing dependence on private vehicles is key.
“We need smarter, better public transport to reduce the menace of private vehicles leading to traffic congestion. Population growth also needs to be controlled to solve the problem,” he said.
Describing the capital’s road congestion as “ Maha bayankar ” , Gadkari offered both a scathing critique and a tech-powered roadmap for change.
Recalling his own traffic trauma, Gadkari said, “I used to sit in traffic in Dhaula Kuan for 1.5 hours every day. Four years of my life got wasted in trying to improve just Dhaula Kuan.”
Taking aim at the unchecked rise in private vehicle ownership and the lack of urban planning, Gadkari questioned the logic behind the capital’s infrastructure choices.
“You build big bungalows in Delhi but you don’t build parking. Do we build roads so you can park your cars on the side of it?” he asked pointedly. “A family of four in Delhi will have eight cars — and the number is only increasing," he said while addressing AIMA's 10th National Leadership Conclave.
Gadkari warned that adding more roads or flyovers is not enough. Citing Mumbai’s example, he noted, “I built many flyovers in Mumbai, but by the time they were completed, population growth had already outpaced the infrastructure.”
Gadkari’s roadmap for decongestion
For all his criticism, Gadkari offered tangible solutions.
He announced a pilot project in Nagpur featuring a ‘flash bus’, a high-tech, rapid-charge electric bus built using technology from Siemens and Hitachi.
“This bus can go 40 km after charging for just half a minute. It has 135 executive chairs, TVs, and even a hostess — like an air hostess,” he said.
The first tender for the project will be issued by the end of April. If successful, these flash buses could be deployed across India. Not only are they futuristic in design, but they’re also cost-efficient — ticket prices are expected to be 30% lower than those of diesel buses.
Gadkari stressed that reducing dependence on private vehicles is key.
“We need smarter, better public transport to reduce the menace of private vehicles leading to traffic congestion. Population growth also needs to be controlled to solve the problem,” he said.
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