Gadkari firmly stated his opposition to the introduction of driverless cars in India, expressing concerns about job losses for drivers.
Addressing road safety concerns, Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways in India, outlined several measures taken by the government to mitigate road accidents during the Zero Mile Samvad hosted by IIM Nagpur.
Gadkari emphasised changes in automobile engineering, such as incorporating six airbags in cars, reducing black spots on roads, and increasing fines through the Electric Motors Act.
“We have increased fines via the Electric Motors Act, kept ambulances and cranes so that things only become better from here. We also raise awareness every year,” Gadkari told Business Today TV’s Managing Editor Siddharth Zarabi.
However, Gadkari firmly stated his opposition to the introduction of driverless cars in India, expressing concerns about job losses for drivers. Gadkari said, “I will never allow driverless cars to come into India because it will take away the jobs of several drivers and I will not let that happen.”
He also specified that while Tesla is welcome in India, manufacturing in China for sales in India is not acceptable. “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 told Business Today.