Centre plans agency to drive overall transportation strategy

The Indian government is considering the establishment of an Integrated Transport Planning Agency (ITPA) to coordinate transportation strategy across all modes of surface transport, railways, shipping, and civil aviation. The proposal, similar to transport departments in the US and Australia, aims to bring down logistics costs by promoting coordinated planning. The ITPA would be responsible for long-term planning, meeting national goals such as net-zero emissions, liaising with relevant ministries, and ensuring better coordination between the central and state governments on infrastructure projects.