Bengaluru, Sep 9 (IANS): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari stressed on the importance of adopting a multimodal transport system for the country to achieve its goal of emerging as a five trillion dollar economy over the next five years.

Addressing the 41st meeting of the Transport Development Council (TDC) at Bengaluru on Friday, he opined that the Centre and the states will have to work together over the next five years to transform the transport sector if the country wants to achieve a $5 tr economy.

"There is a need that we have to shed our differences, come together and formulate future policies so that the transport system can be run on the energy produced in the country," he said.

Gadkari batted for a holistic approach to develop the transport sector in order to achieve India's economic agenda over the next five years. "At present roads are used to transport 70 per cent of the goods. It is necessary to adopt comprehensive methods to reduce it. There is a need to not rely solely on road transport but also water transport, railways and airports which need to be interlinked seamlessly."

Gadkari said efforts should be made to double the automobile industry from 7.5 lakh crore to 15 lakh crore in the next 5 years to establish India as a top automobile manufacturing hub in the world.

Gadkari said this can only be possible by the adoption of best technologies for the Indian road sector and emphasis on digital contactless services by all States/UTs. The minister said all diesel buses should be replaced with electric buses to reduce pollution and costs.

Gadkari said all the stakeholders should resolve to fulfil the Prime Minister's vision of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. He reiterated that a serious and sensitive approach is needed towards road accidents and hard decisions will have to be taken to save the precious lives of people.

Ministers of transport from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu participated in the 41st Transport Development Council (TDC).