Rs 1,400-cr green urban transport project launched

The Hindu Business Line: June 10, 2010
 
New Delhi: The Urban Development Ministry has launched a Rs 1,400-crore green urban transport project called the Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP).
The Global Environment Facility, The World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme are providing both technical and financial assistance for its implementation.

Select cities
Under the project, green urban transport will be introduced in select cities to overcome pollution and other hazards of the existing urban transport system, including traffic impediments for pedestrians.
Four such demonstration projects have commenced in Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune, Indore, Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh and Mysore.
Launching the project, the Union Minister for Urban Development, Mr Jaipal Reddy, said there was an urgent need to shift from personal to public transport and the project has been initiated with this objective.
The Government has given high priority to improved urban transport since the launch of the JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission). More than 12,000 buses have been sanctioned for 60 cities under the mission for the improvement of public transport, while capacity building efforts for better public transport were also being made.

Independent transport body
Mr Reddy said an independent transport authority should be set up in each major city for better governance and planning of public transport.
The SUTP aims at arriving at a long-term strategy to empower planners, decision-makers and other professionals by building their capacity in planning and implementation of the Green Urban Transport Project.
Both the World Bank and UNDP provide loans and grants for SUTP, which is also co-funded by the Government, the respective States and the cities.
This is the first time that such multiple international funding agencies have come together for a transport project in India.