Transport is an essential requirement for the growth of any country. Transport of passengers and goods is vital to satisfy the mobility needs, commensurate with today’s lifestyle characterized by social interactions and reliable goods distribution nation-wide. Inadequate and inefficient public transport in India and grossly inadequate infrastructure are some of the key reasons for the sharp imbalance in a modal split of vehicle population, which has led to a sharp spurt in demand for private vehicles. In such a scenario, rapid consumption of fossil fuels such as mineral diesel, gasoline, etc., and associated vehicular pollution have become worrisome. Pollutants emitted by fossil-fuelled conventional vehicles at the ground level significantly deteriorated breathing air, which increased the death rate due to respiratory diseases. This article deals with all these issues related to the Indian road transport sector and proposes a path to resolve them. Sections related to advanced vehicle technology and alternative energy resources for reducing harmful emissions from road transport vehicles are important aspects of this study. A possible pathway for adopting electric vehicles (EVs) in the Indian road transport sector has also been included. Overall, this article summarizes energy and vehicle technology-related issues in the road transport sector and provides different solutions and their implementation strategies.
