The harsh, shrill, loud and alarming sounds of ambulance horns which echoed on the streets during the second wave of the COVID pandemic in India could soon be a thing of the past. Now those shrill horns are planned to be replaced with the sounds of flute, harmonium, tabla and conch shell.Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari gave this information while inspecting the Delhi-Mumbai Greenfield Expressway being built at a cost of Rs 90,000 crore. He said that work on the new horn pattern has already started.Remembering the lines once quoted by US President John F Kennedy that “American roads are not good because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good,” Gadkari announced that the country shall see a major transformation in the transport sector which will script a success story in states like Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra and Gujarat.The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be axis controlled and neither humans nor animals will be allowed to walk on it. Hence, the vehicles can be driven at a speed of around 140km/hour, he said adding that “We are thinking of allowing a speed of 100 km per hour on this road. We are discussing the scope of changing traffic rules in this regard,” he added.The Delhi-Mumbai expressway will script a successful development story in the tribal belts of Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat and Maharashtra by developing the socio-economically and educationally backward districts.Around 4 crore trees will be planted on the sides of the expressway to check pollution, he said.Gadkari called on the Rajasthan CM and ministers to make industrial clusters, logistic park, smart cities etc on both sides of the expressway to ensure local youths get employment.He said that local produce will also get a boost as we are planning to showcase handloom, handicraft, local fruits and vegetables on either side of the road.”The part of the expressway originating from Ranthambore and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve will be made like an elevated corridor, so that animals living in the sanctuary do not face any kind of problem,” he added.Talking about changes in the toll policy on National Highways and Expressways, he said that in the next two years, the system of payment of toll through GPS will be started. A software will be prepared and connected to satellite and GPS which will allow the customer to pay the toll for the number of kilometers he has travelled.Speaking on accidents, he said that at present five lakh road accidents take place in the country. In these, one and a half lakh people succumb. We are trying to bring a situation by 2030 when there are zero accidents being reported on the highways.The Delhi-Katra Expressway will be launched in two years. This will reduce the distance from Delhi to Katra from 727 kms to 572 kms and we can reach Katra from Delhi in six hours, he added.The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, being built under the Bharat Mala project, will be 1350 km long and is targeted to be completed by January 2023.After thoroughly inspecting the highway, I am confident that the road will become an icon of #NewIndia and will open endless opportunities for millions of people. #PragatiKaHighway, Gadkari tweeted after his survey.
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