On 17th December 2021, A series of memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during the National Conference on Investment Opportunities in Highway, Transport and Logistics, which was held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- The MoU was signed under the chairmanship of the Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari.
MoU’s signed:
1.MoU signed for setting up of Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs)
MMLPs has been set up at five strategic locations in Maharashtra – Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and Dighi Port Industrial Estate.
- The MoU has been signed among National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL).
- MIDC will provide land for the development of MMLPs, NHLML will provide external road connectivity to the site and RVNL will provide external rail connectivity to the site.
Significance:
i.The MMLPs will enable seamless intermodal freight movement & distribution, storage & warehousing solutions and value-added services such as customs clearances & IT services.
ii.The parks will enable the hub-and-spoke model in the logistics sector, which brings down the cost of logistics to half.
Note – MoUs have already been signed with JNPT(Jawaharlal Nehru Port), Chennai Port Trust, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for developing MMLPs.
2.MoU signed between the Government of Maharashtra and Tata Motors
An MoU has been signed between the Government of Maharashtra and Tata Motors for the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF).
- This MoU will ensure unfit and polluting vehicles in Maharashtra are scrapped in an environment-friendly and sustainable manner.
Significance:
i.The proposed scrappage centre recycles up to 35,000 vehicles a year for end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles,
ii.Maharashtra’s Industries, Energy and Labour Department facilitate the necessary approvals as per the rules & regulations of the State Government, along with the draft vehicle scrappage policy released by the MoRTH (Ministry of Road Transport & Highways).
Note – Tata Motors had already signed an MoU with the Gujarat government for setting up a RVSF in Ahmedabad.
3.MoU Signed between Government of Maharashtra and CERO
The MoU has been signed between Maharashtra Government and Cooperative Energy Recycling and Organics (CERO), India’s first organized vehicle recycler, for setting up additional Vehicle Scrapping Facilities in Maharashtra.
- This will reduce pollution by scrapping more than 1 crore unfit vehicles, out of which 5.8 lakh vehicles are registered in the state of Maharashtra.
Significance:
i.The scrapping facilities are being set up under the government’s Voluntary Vehicle-Fleet Modernization Policy that aims to phase out unfit and polluting vehicles.
ii.Around 50-70 RVSFs will be set up in the next 5 years which in turn improves road and passenger safety, improve fuel efficiency and boost the availability of low-cost materials for the industry.
4.MoU signed among MoRTH, IIT Madras and MapmyIndia
MoRTH, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and MapmyIndia, India’s leading digital data and technology products and platforms company for maps, signed an MoU for collaboration on driver and road safety technologies.
- The collaboration jointly launched India’s best and FREE-TO-USE navigation app service for all Indians.
Significance:
i.The navigation app provides voice and visual alerts to users about accident-prone zones, speed breakers, sharp curves, potholes, etc.
- This ensures the drivers drive carefully and avoid accidents.
ii.The app users and authorities can also report and broadcast accidents, unsafe areas, road and traffic issues on the map to help other users of the app.
iii.The report will be analysed by IIT Madras and MapmyIndia will help the government to improve road conditions in future.
Note – MapmyIndia has won the government of India’s Atma Nirbhar App Innovation Challenge in 2020.
Recent Related News:
In October 2021, The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has released the rules for setting up the Registered Vehicle Scrapping facility (RVSF) named ‘Motor Vehicles (Registration and Functions of Vehicles Scrapping Facility) Rules, 2021’ under the Vehicle scrapping Policy.
About MapmyIndia:
MapmyIndia provides advanced digital maps, geospatial software and location-based IoT technologies.
Co-founder, Chairman & Managing Director (MD) – Rakesh Kumar Verma
Established – 1995
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
