Nitin Gadkari’s Big Push for Bike Taxis and Highway Safety: Central Plan Ready to Unlock 8 Crore Jobs Across States

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has issued a strong, nationwide appeal to all state governments to legalize and permit bike taxi services, highlighting their massive potential to generate livelihoods for nearly 80 million people. Speaking at a major infrastructure and road safety event, Gadkari emphasized that while the central government has already authorized private two-wheelers—including motorcycles and scooters—to operate as passenger carriers, regulatory resistance in several states continues to block widespread implementation. Transport being a state subject, the minister urged regional administrations to embrace the micro-mobility model to boost rural employment and urban last-mile connectivity.

Launch of the 'Suraksha' Pilot Program for Highway and Mining Workers

The major policy announcements coincided with the formal launch of "Suraksha," a pioneering pilot health initiative designed to provide free on-the-spot medical checkups, vision screenings, and counseling sessions for commercial drivers, highway construction workers, and high-risk miners.

Targeting an initial enrollment of 10,000 individuals, the program is being rolled out across a 150-kilometer stretch covering the Nagpur-Kamptee corridor along NH-44 and the vital Chandrapur mining belts in Maharashtra. Highlighting the direct link between driver wellness and highway safety, Gadkari stressed that chronic occupational health issues—particularly vision deterioration and fatigue—require proactive intervention to drastically reduce road fatalities.

Upcoming Motor Vehicles Act Amendment: Introduction of a Negative Point System

To crack down on reckless driving and curb habitual traffic violations, Minister Gadkari announced that the Motor Vehicles Act will soon be amended to introduce a negative point system. Under this upcoming framework:

• Every traffic rule violation will result in negative points being debited against the driver's license.

• Accumulating penalties beyond a predefined threshold will trigger the automatic suspension or cancellation of the driving license.

• The transparent, automated system is engineered to instill personal accountability and deter repeat offenders who disregard road safety.

Citing alarming statistics concerning road accidents and traffic rule breaches across India, the transport ministry's twin initiatives aim to balance large-scale job creation in the gig economy with uncompromising standards of highway safety and enforcement.