New Delhi – Seeking policy relaxation to address the unique challenges faced by hill states, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri raised key transport-related issues of Himachal Pradesh during the national-level meeting of Transport Ministers and the 43rd meeting of the Transport Development Council held in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
During the meeting, Agnihotri urged the Union Government to increase the validity of taxi permits to at least 15 years or up to the period a vehicle remains roadworthy, instead of the existing 12-year limit prescribed by the Centre. He said that hilly states face difficult terrain, harsh weather conditions, and higher vehicle maintenance costs, making longer permit validity essential for the sustainability of taxi operators.
Taking into account the state’s tough topography, geographical constraints, and limited availability of land, the Deputy Chief Minister also sought segregation of Driving Training Schools and Automated Testing Stations under the Centres cluster scheme. He said that such segregation would enable Himachal Pradesh to fully benefit from the centrally sponsored scheme.
Agnihotri further raised the issue of determining the carrying capacity of goods vehicles, particularly tippers, on the basis of the actual goods being transported. He said that uniform norms framed for plain areas often create operational difficulties in hill regions and need to be reviewed.
Responding to the concerns raised by Himachal Pradesh and other hill states, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured that the Government of India would carefully consider these issues. He said appropriate guidelines would be framed, keeping in view the special conditions of hilly states, including matters related to permit validity, vehicle scrapping policies, and transport infrastructure development.
