US to offer sustainable transport for 3 Indian states

Three Indian cities are set to get support from the US to unclog their traffic woes. 

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 on Friday.

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.

Foxx, who was earlier Mayor of Charlottee, 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’.