2-wheeler owners can operate bike taxis: Gadkari

Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that private two-wheeler owners can operate bike taxis, urging state governments to permit the service. This move could generate livelihood opportunities for approximately eight crore people, particularly in rural areas. The Union government is also drafting amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act, introducing a negative point system for habitual traffic offenders, which could lead to licence suspension or cancellation for repeated violations.

Gadkari emphasized the importance of responsible driving behavior in his remarks during the launch of the "Suraksha" pilot program, which offers free medical diagnosis and counselling to highway and mining workers. The initial phase of the program covers 10,000 people working on the 150-km Nagpur–Kamptee stretch of NH-44 and the mining belt in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.