US to offer smart transport solutions for three cities

The US Department of Transportation has agreed to offer sustainable transport solutions for the cities of Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam. Bilateral cooperation in the field of transportation was discussed during a meeting between the visiting US Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu here today. Foxx was leading a nine-member delegation including Susan Kurland, Assistant Secretary for Aviation & International Affairs. Secretary (Urban Development) Madhusudhan Prasad, Secretary (Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation) Nandita Chatterjee and other senior officials of the Ministry participated in the discussions. The two sides focused on cooperation on the transportation elements of smart cities including efficient public transportation systems, Intelligent Transport Systems, Traffic Information and Control, multimodal integration and capacity building and training in the field of urban transportation. Naidu gave a detailed account of initiatives being taken in the urban sector including building of 100 smart cities, New Urban Rejuvenation Mission for 500 cities, Housing For All, Swachh Bharat Mission etc, with the objective of enhancing the quality of lives of the people in urban areas and enabling cities to drive economic growth. Anthony Foxx, who was earlier Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina during 2009-13 stressed that efficient urban transportation based on proper planning and execution holds the key to making cities more livable. He said the US Government is focusing on promoting regional transport solutions. He described the initiative of building 100 smart cities in India as ‘very exciting’. The Urban Development Minister suggested to the delegation that Task Forces have been constituted for promotion of Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam in association with United States Trade Development Agency and the US Department of Transportation can work with the city-wide teams for promoting sustainable transport solutions.