Latest news with #AjayTamta
Hindustan Times
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt to change DPR selection procedure for national highway projects
The union government will change the mode of selection of detailed project reports (DPRs) for national highway projects from the existing practice of awarding the one suggesting the lowest price for the projects, union minister of state for road, transport and highways Ajay Tamta said on Friday. Govt to change DPR selection procedure for national highway projects 'As an alternative, DPRs will be assessed on multiple parameters through a points-based system by a joint team of senior ministry officials and premier academic institutions,' Tamta said during a meeting held in IIT-Delhi on road safety, along with the SPA (School of Planning and Architecture) Delhi. He said that preparing DPRs that account for local conditions is of paramount importance, and those preparing DPRs should mandatorily visit project sites rather than rely on technology. He said that in the coming days, there will be an opportunity for people with visionary thought, including people in the startup ecosystem. He said that innovation must be the cornerstone of MoRTH's future planning strategy and highlighted the role of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) as incubators for such cross-disciplinary ideas. The MoS said this change in policy of choosing DPRs incorporating engineering and planning aspects will be instrumental in realising India's aim of reducing road accident fatalities by 50% by 2030 as part of the Stockholm Declaration. 'If DPRs are chosen carefully, we will have fewer road accidents.' He cited the latest official data of 2022, which found that 1,68,000 people died as a result of road accidents in India. India, despite having a lower number of vehicles per capita, has one of the highest numbers of deaths, contributing 11.7% of all deaths due to road accidents. Tamta's senior colleague and minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, has also spoken about how road engineering is a prime culprit for road accidents in multiple public forums.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Need to involve urban & transport planner in highway projects passing through cities & towns: Experts
NEW DELHI: Planning and preparation of highway projects passing through urban areas must involve urban and transport planners, experts said at a conference on 'Crash Safety and Physical Planning' held at IIT-Delhi on Friday. Director of School of Planning and Architecture, Virendra Kumar Paul claimed that highway engineers have less capability to evaluate detailed project reports (DPRs). 'DPR is an issue. We had trained some NHAI engineers at IIT, Delhi. We could understand that they don't have the competence to deal with DPRs. They don't have interest in deep diving into the DPR either because they are too bureaucratic or give that task to an external consultant,' he said in the presence of Ajay Tamta, MoS of roadtransport and highways minietry. Highways passing through urban areas need special attention as the number of fatal crashes are usually higher due to more conflict of different road users. SPA and IIT-Delhi offered to the ministry to take up some pilot projects of evaluating DPRs prepared for NHAI and other agencies. The IIT leadership also suggested the minister to set up a Centre of Excellence to deal with crash investigation. Addressing the gathering, Tamta called for a paradigm shift from reactive construction to proactive, innovation-led planning, where road projects are no longer isolated engineering exercises, but integrated, multi-sectoral development tools. He said there is a need for innovations which not only improve safety, but also tackle chronic issues in road projects such as land acquisition challenges, urban traffic congestion, poor last-mile connectivity, and cost overruns.
Hans India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
MoS Tamta calls for innovation-led road planning to boost economic growth
New Delhi: Minister of State (MoS) for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta in a meeting with experts from IIT Delhi, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, and industry partners on Friday, emphasised that the future of India's infrastructure lies in innovation-led, safety-integrated, and context-sensitive road planning. He called for a paradigm shift from reactive construction to proactive, innovation-led planning, where road projects are no longer isolated engineering exercises, but integrated, multi-sectoral development tools. MoS Tamta highlighted that under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'Viksit Bharat 2047', infrastructure will play a defining role in making India a developed nation. "The Ministry is not just building roads, but shaping corridors that serve as engines of industrial growth, urban expansion, digital connectivity, and citizen well-being," he remarked MoS Tamta interacted with faculty and innovators from IIT Delhi and SPA Delhi, and the Minister stressed that these innovations not only improve safety but also tackle chronic issues in road projects such as land acquisition challenges, urban traffic congestion, poor last-mile connectivity, and cost overruns. The Minister emphasised the need to indigenise design models, rather than replicating from the West. India's unique geography, climate, behavioural patterns, and population density demand customised solutions, including integrated safety zones, mobility hubs, and mixed-use road corridors. The event showcased not only road safety solutions but also pioneering technologies, advanced planning frameworks, and low-cost, high-impact designs that can transform the way roads are conceived and constructed in India. The minister also reviewed multi-directional free traffic models, hotspot-based safety designs, and door-to-door mobility systems for low-cost, high-efficiency public transit using a no-app-no-URL ( PiFi - Private Internet Fidelity) based transport system suitable for rapid urban transportation. MoS Tamta advocated a governance model where physical plans are invited and evaluated transparently before DPR formulation, allowing a clear pathway to implementation. He reiterated that innovation must be the cornerstone of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways' future planning strategy and highlighted the role of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) as incubators for such cross-disciplinary ideas. He applauded IIT Delhi and SPA Delhi for leading this movement and called upon other academic and industry institutions to join in this mission of nation-building through intelligent infrastructure.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt is not just building roads, but shaping corridors, says MoS Ajay Tamta, ET Infra
Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta held a meeting with faculty and industry partners at IIT Delhi and the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, to discuss innovation in road planning and infrastructure development Planning corridors, not just roads Advt Models, systems and governance By , ETInfra The session focused on technology-led approaches to improve road safety, planning processes, and project delivery. Discussions included frameworks for design, low-cost solutions, and tools that integrate road projects into broader development said infrastructure would play a key role in India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. 'The Ministry is not just building roads, but shaping corridors that serve as engines of industrial growth, urban expansion , digital connectivity, and citizen well-being,' he called for a shift from reactive construction to proactive planning, stating that road projects should function as multi-sectoral development tools rather than isolated engineering the visit, the minister reviewed innovations addressing issues such as land acquisition, traffic congestion, last-mile connectivity, and cost overruns. He noted the importance of creating design models suited to Indian conditions, instead of relying on Western templates. This includes planning safety zones, mixed-use corridors, and mobility hubs aligned with local also reviewed various transport models , including hotspot-based safety systems and a no-app, no-URL (PiFi - Private Internet Fidelity) approach for door-to-door mobility. He said such models could support low-cost, efficient public transit in urban minister suggested a governance structure where physical plans are reviewed transparently before Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation, allowing clearer implementation also emphasised the role of Centres of Excellence as spaces for generating ideas and facilitating collaboration between academia, government, and industry.'IIT Delhi and SPA Delhi are contributing significantly, and I urge more institutions to participate in this mission to build intelligent infrastructure,' Tamta said.
Hans India
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Union Minister Ajay Tamta calls for push towards zero road fatalities
New Delhi: Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Ajay Tamta, on Thursday, stressed the urgent need to reduce road crash deaths in India. Speaking at the 'Dialogue to Action: National Summit on Vulnerable Road Users and Road Safety' here, he said, "The issue of road safety is very important, and we should work on ideas to reduce road fatalities." "The focus should be on working towards zero road fatalities," the Union Minister added. UN Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jen Todt, called road crashes a 'silent pandemic' and highlighted that more than 1.2 million people die globally in road accidents every year. In India alone, more than 1.54 lakh people died in 2021 due to road crashes. "Most of the people who die are young, daily commuters, and family breadwinners. India needs more than dialogue. It needs action. And it needs it now," he said. Amit Bhardwaj, Deputy Adviser at NITI Aayog, said that while India's national highways and two-wheelers have doubled in the last decade, infrastructure for safety has not kept pace. He suggested strict enforcement methods such as refusing fuel to riders not wearing helmets. He also said that poor bike design might be one reason many riders avoid wearing helmets. Bureau of Indian Standards Director, Mitra Sen Verma, said his department is ready to work with NGOs to take action against fake helmet makers and also promote road safety awareness in schools. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Consultant, Maharaj Singh, added that while the Centre can frame laws, state governments must take strong enforcement steps. He stressed the need for collaborative ideas and better implementation. Steelbird Hi-Tech's Managing Director Rajeev Kapur raised concern about the alarming number of fake helmets in the Indian market. "Around 95 per cent of licensed manufacturers are producing fake helmets. India needs 13 crore standard helmets, but only three crore are made by the organised sector," he said, also proposing an investment plan worth Rs 6,000 crore to fix the issue and create jobs. Manoranjan Parida, Director of CSIR-CSIR-Central Road Research Institute, said India had committed to reducing road crashes by 50 per cent by 2030, but the current trend is worrying. He proposed creating separate lanes for two-wheelers, like in Vietnam and Malaysia, and urged Bollywood and the media to promote road safety. B. Mohammed Asheel from the World Health Organisation praised India's laws on paper but noted a gap in real-world implementation. He said that road crash deaths are now double those caused by infectious diseases and called for a public movement similar to what was seen during Covid-19. TRAX President Anurag Kulshrestha highlighted that more than 65 per cent of road deaths involve vulnerable road users like bikers and pedestrians. He noted that most of these deaths are preventable and blamed substandard helmets and poor enforcement as major concerns.
