Pakistan is in urgent need of institutional capacities so as to promote sustainable urban transport, said experts at an inter-related training programs organised by Pakistan Sustainable Transport Project (PAKSTRAN) here Tuesday.
Sustainable urban transportation, they said, was urgently needed not only for the cause of energy conservation and pollution-free environment but also to combat chaos severely compromising economic, mental and emotional well being of the masses.
Reiterating importance of capacity-buildings to promote urban transport culture in the country, the experts said all the stake holders had to be actively involved in the effort.
The events simultaneously held in collaborations with NED University for Engineering and Technology and Institute of Space Technology, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) were attended by representatives of planning and development department, urban planners, academia and stakeholders. The participants mainly focused on land use planning for design of sustainable transport systems.
Experts discussed in detail measures required for better planning and its implementation paving way for sustainable urban transport interventions in the country.
Arif Allauddin, Managing Director of the National Energy Conservation Centre (ENERCON), Ministry of Water and Power, said it was essential to link researchers with practitioners for translating research into action.
He appreciated the efforts being made by the provinces in promoting urban mobility in a more sustainable way. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, country representative of IUCN, Pakistan, said improved transport sector in Pakistan has linkages with economic and social development and environmental improvements and all possible measures must be promoted to improve the urban transport activity in Pakistan.
The PAKSTRAN Project is being implemented by the government of Pakistan through the government of Sindh (transport department), government of Punjab (Urban Unit, Planning and Development Department) and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature.
