Even as Nitin Gadkari finds himself at the center of the controversy over ethanol-blended petrol, the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister is already rolling out his next big idea in transport: air buses for Indian cities.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway on Tuesday, Gadkari announced plans to introduce ‘flying buses’ as part of an electric mass rapid transit system aimed at tackling traffic congestion in India’s fast-growing cities.
“Soon, I will introduce flying buses. I have already brought seaplanes that can land on water. I even landed one in the sea myself. Under my ministry, I will develop an electric mass rapid transit system. It will enable people to travel from one corner to another at such a speed that they will not even realize how fast they have come,” Gadkari said.
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Gadkari is on the E20 petrol line
Amid criticism over the introduction of E20 petrol (fuel blended with 20 per cent ethanol) and complaints that it reduces the fuel efficiency of vehicles, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari last week challenged critics to point out one vehicle that suffered problems due to the fuel.
Addressing the Vixit Bharat meeting, Gadkari said India’s dependence on fossil fuels represents an economic burden and an environmental challenge, noting that the country spends nearly… $22 million crores annually on fuel imports.
There is no case where any car has problems due to E20 gasoline. Has there been any car in the country that has had problems due to using E20 gasoline? Just name one, he said, according to a PTI report.
He said, “…false narratives are being spread about the introduction of gasoline blended with a higher percentage of ethanol. These are paid campaigns.”
India has already achieved 20 percent blending of ethanol with gasoline, using ethanol produced from biomass such as sugarcane, corn and rice to limit crude oil imports and cut carbon emissions.
Making a strong case for hydrogen as the next frontier in clean mobility, Gadkari said he personally uses several alternative-fueled vehicles and encouraged people to experience the technology first-hand, according to news agency ANI.
(With inputs from agencies)
