HYDERABAD: Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu laid emphasis on innovative means of financing major public transport systems in view of the huge investments they require. Investment requirement in high capacity public transport systems can be huge due to the gap in demand and capacity, he added. Delivering the keynote address at the 10th Urban Mobility India (UMI) conference here on Saturday, Mr Venkaiah Naidu said various cities were going for the public private partnership (PPP) model to implement urban transport projects. He mentioned how Benga-luru’s Namma Metro had issued bonds to drive home his point on innovative means of financing.
Mr Naidu lauded the Telangana state government for the speedy implementation of city’s Metro Rail, which on completion would become the world's largest venture to be implemented in PPP mode. He said it was important to provide last-mile connectivity for high capacity public transport to become popular. If citizens don’t get comfortable modes of transport to reach the Metro Rail station, they are likely to use personal vehicles.
The future of transportation lay in sustainable smart mobility and eco-friendly alternatives, Mr Naidu said and called upon planners, city authorities and civil society to make the cities a better place to live in. A holistic approach to urban land use and transport planning and investment is needed if urban areas are to become socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, Mr Naidu said.
