"I will not allow driverless cars in India at any cost" says Nitin Gadkari
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has allegedly stated that autonomous cars will not be introduced in India in order to safeguard driver employment. Addressing road safety concerns, Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways in India said "I said in the US itself that I will not allow driverless cars in India at any cost. This is because, in our country, a large number of people work as drivers….driverless cars will, therefore, snatch their jobs," said Gadkari.
Gadkari emphasized advances in automotive engineering, such as the incorporation of six airbags in automobiles, the reduction of dark patches on roadways, and the increase of fines under the Electric Motors Act. He also stated that, while Tesla is welcome in India, manufacturing in China for Indian sales is not an option. "We will allow Tesla to come to India but they cannot manufacture in China and sell it in India. That is an impossible thing to happen," Gadkari stated.
Nitin Gadkari emphasised the importance of hydrogen as the fuel of the future and expressed the government's commitment to adopting advanced technology to improve public infrastructure. "Hydrogen is the futuristic fuel and we are working towards bringing the best technology to help in enhancing the public infrastructure," he further said.
Previously, Nitin Gadkari has publicly declared his objection to the notion of having autonomous automobiles in the nation, first in July 2017 and once in December 2019, for the same rationale that individuals working as drivers will lose their jobs.
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