To decongest roads in UP, no new petrol pumps on highways, main roads

Lucknow: No new petrol pumps will be allowed on the highways and main roads in Uttar Pradesh, the state government decided on Tuesday in a move to tackle traffic congestion.

The cabinet also took a decision to levy licence fee of Rs 3 lakh for setting up new petrol pumps.

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"From now, new petrol pumps will be set up one km away from highways and main roads and 600 metres from rural roads for which provisions have been made," MSME and Investment Minister Sidharth Nath Singh told reporters in the state capital.

The petrol pumps will now be regulated by the Public Works Department (PWD), he said.

"The minimum size of land has also been fixed. For cities, it will be 35x35 sq metres and for hilly regions it will be 20x20 sq metres," Singh said adding that the guideline will be applicable to new petrol pumps only.

Singh said the guidelines will help decongest roads and avoid additional pressure on them.

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(PTI)