Indian minister for Road Transport and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari, suggested to the vehicle transporters to ship their products in order to save about 15-20 days of travel time and at the same time reduce fuel consumption at per tonne cargo and contribute to carbon footprint reduction.
Mr. Gadkari made the announcement on October 28, when he digitally flagged off the cargo vessel ‘M.V. IDM DOODLE’, carrying a consignment of 185 trucks from Chennai Port to Mongla port in Bangladesh.
According to Nitin Gadkari, these trucks were transported to Bangladesh using the land route, until now, travelling a distance of about 1500 km.
Transport through the sea will save about 15-20 days of travel time. For this trip alone that involves transport of 185 trucks, a total of about 3 lakh vehicle km of road travel will be saved, something that besides saving time, will also reduce coastal transport costs and be more environment friendly.
The fuel consumption at per tonne cargo is much lower via sea route, a fact that will minimize carbon footprints on the environment. Further, the modal shift to coastal shipping will save wear and tear of the new vehicles and also reduce traffic on congested roads.
The Coastal Shipping Agreement between India and Bangladesh was signed during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in June 2015.
Based on the agreement sea transportation from Indian ports to Bangladesh ports will be treated as coastal movement, making it eligible for 40% concession on vessel and cargo related charges.
For coastal movement through RoRo vessels, 80% concession on vessel and cargo related charges are applicable in Indian Ports.
