Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said on Saturday that the government intends to build helipads and drone landing facilities along national highways to deal with emergency situations.

While speaking at the Indian Merchants Chamber event in Mumbai, the minister for Road Transport and Highways said that National Highways Authority of India is creating world-class “Wayside Amenities (WSA)” at more than 600 locations along the National Highways which will also have helipads and drone landing facilities to assist in dealing with medical emergencies, such as car accidents and organ transplants. (ALSO READ: NHAI hopeful about meeting May 1 deadline for Chandni Chowk)

Other amenities to be offered along national highways

According to minister Gadkari, government also plans to develop these facilities as wayside amenities:

Good toilets

Parking

Restaurants

Dormitories for truck drivers

Facilities for charging electric vehicles

Trauma centres

Retail outlets for promoting handicrafts and locally-manufactured products

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Gadkari on high logistics cost

Gadkari continued, the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan is a significant initiative that will aid in decreasing logistics expenses. He said that logistics expenses in India are higher at 13-14% of GDP than in other developed nations such as the US, where they are between 8-9%.

“Higher logistics cost reduces the competitiveness of ‘Made in India’ products in global markets. Reducing logistics costs to 9 per cent of GDP is at the top of the government’s agenda,” he added.

(Input from PTI)