In a notable effort to centralise and optimise India?s transportation systems, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has revealed plans to construct integrated public transport and terminal infrastructure nationwide.
These hubs are designed to bring together various modes of transport?including roadways, railways, airways, waterways, and ropeways?into a single location, thereby enhancing passenger convenience and improving the overall travel experience.
The government intends to initiate pilot projects in Katra, Tirupati, Varanasi, and Nagpur, with the development of these hubs being managed by National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLM), a fully-owned subsidiary of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Ministry officials have stated that this initiative aims to significantly enhance the efficiency of both freight and passenger movement across the country.
The proposed terminals are conceived as one-stop solutions, enabling the integration and interconnection of different transport systems. This approach is intended to address the needs of the 87 per cent of passenger traffic that currently relies on the country?s road networks.
A senior official from the ministry explained that developing public transport and terminal infrastructure is expected to yield multiple socio-economic benefits, such as enhancing passenger experiences, reducing urban congestion, and stimulating economic activity by creating new city centres, as reported by the Economic Times.
The official also emphasised the current challenges faced by passengers due to the fragmented nature of the existing transportation systems. Travellers often face difficulties navigating between state-run buses, metros, rickshaws, and congested city roads.
The new terminals, by integrating various modes of transportation, are anticipated to alleviate these challenges and offer seamless connectivity, thereby making transfers between different forms of transport more efficient and user-friendly.
A significant milestone in this direction was the launch of the PM Gatishakti National Master Plan (NMP) in 2021, which focuses on upgrading multimodal connectivity infrastructure across various economic zones.
The NMP brings together key infrastructure schemes such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and UDAN under a unified digital platform, streamlining the planning and execution of these major transport projects.
Supporting this initiative is the National Logistics Policy (NLP), which addresses the development of integrated infrastructure while ensuring efficiency in services, including processes and regulatory frameworks. The policy is further strengthened by the comprehensive logistics action plan (CLAP), which details specific steps for enhancing logistics operations across the nation.
