In the tech boasted world, where driverless cars are future and on this, brands like Google, Apple and Tesla racing to enter a potentially multi-billion-dollar market. To this, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari said that India will not allow driverless cars to ply on its roads as it will lead to more unemployment.
While responding to queries from reporters, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “We will not allow driverless cars in India. We don’t need it. Unemployment is a huge problem in our country. Each car gives job to a driver.”
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Nitin Gadkari added that focus of the government is to create more jobs to reduce unemployment rating. "How can we allow such vehicles when we already have huge number of unemployed people?" Gadkari asked while interacting with reporters at his residence in the national capital.
“I saw in Sweden a 70-year-old man was driving a taxi. There (Western countries), they have less people. Here, we have more people and they need jobs. Driverless cars will take away those jobs. I am certain on this issue,” he said.
The current prototype versions, autonomous cars navigate traffic with the help of multiple inputs from GPS, and laser, infra-red and computer-vision technologies. Technology experts say autonomous cars reduce chances of collision and increase traffic efficiency.
The minister said that he has also told global automakers that India will not reduce import duty on e-vehicles or its parts. “I have told chiefs of the auto companies recently that world-class electric vehicles can very well be manufactured in India. They are welcome to make them here under Make in India, we will not reduce the import duties,” he said.