Cabinet paves way for red, maroon and black taxis

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved amendment to Uttar Pradesh Motor Vehicle Rules 1998 under which it would be mandatory for bike taxis to write ‘bike taxi’ on their tanks. It also specified colours for autos and taxis.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presided over the meeting.

Minister for energy Shrikant Sharma said the existing UP Motor Vehicle Rules provided that the contract vehicles cannot be of maroon, black or red colour.

“As 70 to 80 percent bikes are available in these colours, the state cabinet amended rules to do away with this provision that was also coming in way of deciding colour of women driven or for women only vehicles,” said Sharma.

He said while CNG-based autos will have green colour, electric vehicles will be of white colour.

He said the number plate of the commercial vehicles would be yellow.

BOOST FOR ODOP

Giving a boost to the One District One Programme (ODOP), the state cabinet approved a scheme to encourage setting up of Common Facility Centres (CFC) by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Under the scheme the projects of setting up the CFC involving an investment of Rs 15 crore will be taken up. The SPV will bear 10 percent of the cost while the state government will bear the remaining 90 percent cost of the project. For projects of more than Rs 15 crore, the state government’s contribution will be limited to Rs 12.75 crore.

The state cabinet also approved the Memorandum of Cooperation that the state government had signed with Japan at the recently concluded Krishi Kumbh. Minister for energy Shrikant Sharma said the state cabinet’s approval had been sought after signing the agreement. Agreement provides for investment by Japan in agriculture sector for development of food value chain.